Kingdom Blades
by kirinelf
Summary: Queen Minnie has been kidnapped, and the King's gone ballistic. The three Wielders go forth to search for her, and the adventure that awaits them will be their greatest yet. SoraXKairi Please review! This is my first story. Be kind!
1. Journey's Beginning

Well, this is my first fanfic for Kingdom Hearts, and I've decided that I might as well post it up here. As usual, all original characters are copyrighted by me, while all other characters belong to their respective owners:

Kingdom Hearts characters: Square-Enix  
Disney characters: Disney  
Original characters: kirinelf (Me!)

Remember to review: I need to know how to improve! That's right, **_need_**, not **_want_**, **_NEED_**!

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Sora's eyes snapped open, their azure orbs opened wide in terror. A flash of white burst in his right hand, while a similar blast of black erupted in his left. The twin keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, materialized, ready to defend against any attack. 

Seeing no enemies, Sora sighed, sinking back onto his bed, the two keyblades vanishing. Strange… why was his bed so hard? He turned and saw that he was lying on hard rock, then sighed.

'I forgot… King Mickey sent me out on another mission…' he thought, glancing around. His eyes picked out the lanky form of Riku, his best friend, lounging against the rock face of the cliff they were sheltering under.

"Yo, Key Bearer." Riku grinned as he saw Sora fidget a bit.

"Quit it, Riku. You're a Key Bearer too, remember?" he said. "I'm not the only Key Bearer here!"

"Right you aren't!" Sora spun around, and saw a certain red-haired princess sitting on a rock behind him, a wide smile on her face.

"Kairi, not you too!" Sora nearly cried out in frustration. Throughout this new journey, which his friends had insisted on coming along with him on, they had been badgering him constantly about his 'Key Bearer' status, a rank gained when the keyblade had rejected Riku and selected him. Although Riku soon proved worthy of the keyblade, the name had stuck, and the King, Mickey Mouse, had given the title official bearing. He had included Riku and Kairi in the title as well, but most of the main impetus was on Sora, and this was why Riku and Kairi teased him all throughout the way.

A ray of strange light, where black and white stood out individually instead of a mingled grey, shone behind him, and when he turned back to face Riku, the black keyblade, Way to the Dawn, had appeared in the Wielder of Dawn's hand.

A second beam of light, blood-red with pink, and white streaks burst forth from behind him, and when he whirled around, the Princess of Hearts held True Heart in her hand.

While Riku's keyblade had been his for a while, Kairi had only recently gained hers. The keyblade Riku had given her while he was still trapped in Ansem's body had faded once he left it and resumed his normal body, and only when she had insisted on coming with them had it appeared before her.

The situation was urgent. The King was furious; the only time Sora had ever since him this angry was when Goofy was knocked out and they had thought him dead, and then not even this angry.

Queen Minnie had been kidnapped.

The King had ordered Sora, Riku, and Kairi out on this mission, into an alternate dimension where his scouts had seen the Queen being taken. He had been full of cold fury, the Golden Keyblade in his hand as he had stalked the throne room, his mouth set in a hard line. It had been all Donald and Goofy could do to hold the King down and prevent him from going after his Queen himself. They had told Sora that they would keep the King in check: The last time he went to help Sora, Minnie had been there to govern in his place, and now there was no one.

But then Sora smiled. Here he was, with his best friends in the world, or worlds as he now knew, and he was free in the universe. He held the Keyblades of Light, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, and he defeated Xemnas, yet another person who had wanted the power of Kingdom Hearts. He would have plenty to think about when they find the Queen.

"Anyway Sora, what woke you up? You were sleeping so soundly we didn't wanna wake you." Kairi cocked her head to one side, her big blue eyes on Sora's, who felt his cheeks beginning to colour.

"It was… nothing… a dream…" he muttered, closing his eyes and lounging back onto the rock surface. "Just a dream…"

Riku got up from his perch on the rock, leaping down onto Sora's level. "Heh, must've been one heck of a dream. I could hear you crying out from up there." He inclined his head at the ledge he had just abandoned.

"Are you okay, Sora?" Kairi asked, getting up and walking to him. She placed her hand on his forehead, checking for fever. "You seem a bit flustered…"

Sora waved her away. "Yeah, I'm fine. I dunno, it's just something that came over me. Whatever it was, it's gone now…"

Riku folded his arms across his chest, his silver eyes gazing at his best friend. "Well, if you say so, I think we better get a move on. We're nowhere closer to the Queen than we were yesterday."

"Huh?" Sora got up, looking at Riku. "Whadaya mean no closer? We walked all day yesterday, and the _Terra_ brought us quite a way too."

The _Terra_ was their new Gummi Ship, the latest model to roll off the production line, commissioned to them by the King himself. He was sparing no expense to get his Queen back. It had autopilot, a sauna, a training facility, five-star quality bedrooms, and more weapons than half the Gummi Ships they've ridden in put together.

"For one thing, they seem to be moving pretty fast. For another we are moving pretty slowly. And lastly…" He shrugged. "I just have this feeling we aren't."

Sora nearly slumped down again. Riku's 'feelings' had an annoying habit of being accurate. He didn't exactly feel like walking a huge distance again. The day before, he had nearly walked the distance from the King's castle to Radiant Garden, and _that_ trip took a Gummi Ship around 10 minutes.

"Well, we won't be getting any closer sitting around like this. Since Sora's already up, let's go!" Kairi's keyblade disappeared along with Riku's as the trio prepared for their journey.

Sora went over the map that they had been given. It wasn't very accurate, considering it was around a hundred years old at least. The parchment on which it was drawn was yellowing, and parts of it were unreadable.

"Hmm… I can't really tell, but this seems to say… Di… gi… tal? Digital? Digital World?" He struggled to make out the faded words.

Riku peered over his shoulder. "Yeah, I think that's about right. Good enough for me. Let's go. It's better than having no goal."

Kairi ran up the road, stopping just before rounding a corner as she turned back to grin at her friends.

"Come on, let's go!" she cried over the noise of the wind, which was starting to pick up.

Sora glanced at Riku, who returned the look. Without saying anything, the two of them broke into an all-out sprint, running towards the Princess of Hearts, a casual race between the two of them, just like old times.

But something, in the back of Sora's mind, niggling like a little itch, was the feeling that maybe, just maybe, this won't be as easy as last time.

Sora shook it off as he tried to lengthen his stride, trying as much to bury his doubt as he was trying to win the race. He had new powers, old friends, his Forms, new keyblades, he was a far cry from the Sora who had embarked on his journey to find and defeat Organization XIII, and even further from the one who had sought out Ansem. What could happen?

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Gah, it could've been better, but I just can't seem to think of anything at the moment. Remember to hit that review button; Feedback is always nice...  



	2. A Heart for the Heartless

Thanks to all of those who reviewed my last chapter! Hope this one will live up to your expectations... I like action, so there's gonna be plenty of action in the later chappies.

To my reviewers:  
Cori Rain: Thanks, Mickey gets a spot of action in the later chapters, watch out for him. As promised, this chapter's here.  
littlehomiieex3: Thanks for the compliment, chapter ready.  
Kairi8013: Wish granted.

Thanks guys, this one's for you!

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Walking together through the fissure that was suspiciously devoid of anything, something occurred to Sora.

"Hey guys…" he ventured. "Have you wondered why we haven't encountered a single Heartless yet?"

Riku stopped walking, followed suit by the other two. He lifted his arm and pointed. Before them, a pillar of darkness was forming. "I think they were just gathering their forces"

Out of the pillar more than fifty Heartless crawled out, Shadow Heartless that could flatten themselves into the ground to escape attack. Their yellow eyes gleamed through their dark bodies of darkness embodied, and their feelers tested the air, feeling their prey's scent as they turned to face them.

Blasts of multi-colour light lit the three Wielders, and their four keyblades glinted in the slight sun that filtered towards the ground in the ravine. Determined looks were on Sora and Riku's faces, while Kairi's face was torn between fear, uncertainty, determination and curiosity. Sora and Riku stepped protectively before her, their keyblades levelled.

"Kairi, stay behind us. Watch how we go, then when we get the chance, we'll bust right through them." Riku's eyes flicked from Heartless to Heartless, watching to see which will make the first move.

Sora growled. "I knew we should've given her some lessons first, but I guess first-hand experience is better… Still, couldn't they come at us one at a time?!"

At that moment, the first attack happened. One of the Shadows, relying on the hunter's instinct to go after the weakest, leapt forward at Kairi, clashing with Riku's Way to the Dawn and dissolving into thin threads of darkness, its released heart floating up into the sky and returning to Kingdom Hearts. As though that was the cue, the rest of the Heartless attacked, and the battle was joined.

Oblivion and Oathkeeper whirled through the air as a red tinge infused Sora, transforming into Valour Form. Heartless after Heartless fell to the windmilling keyblades, as Sora gracefully danced through them. Mingled blasts of black and white flew from the twin keyblades, lighting up the fissure.

Mirroring Sora, Way to the Dawn sent both individual beams of white and black, as well as mingled rays of grey to decimate their foes. The Wielder of Dawn skilfully manipulated the keyblade he bore, shearing holes through his enemies. Seeing a pack of Heartless leap onto Sora, he sent a dark blast of energy at them, and that coupled by a whirlwind of blades courtesy of Sora destroyed them instantly.

On her own, Kairi watched with intense concentration, wondering whether or not she should join in. True Heart was cocked in a ready position that she modelled after Sora; seeing him fight for her cause so many times had imprinted it in her mind. But although she strained her eyes, she couldn't see much more besides the flashes of light that erupted whenever the weapons of her friends made contact with the darkness that formed the Heartless.

Then in a second, her mind was made up. A Heartless, skulking around the edge of the battle, saw her and pounced. Re-acting on pure instinct, Kairi brought her keyblade up with a cry, smashing into the Shadow's chest and destroying it. Her eyes were shut tight, but instead of the thump she was expecting, she felt nothing but a slight wisp of air pass, and when she opened her eyes, the little pink heart was floating towards its brethren.

"Wow…" she murmured, slightly surprised. Staring at the heart, she wasn't paying attention when another Heartless attacked her, only to be vanquished when Sora leapt to her defence, alerted by her earlier cry.

"Nice one, Kairi, but in case you haven't noticed, he wasn't the only one." Sora settled back into his Valour stance, crouching down with Oathkeeper over his shoulder, while Oblivion was held loosely before him.

"I knew that!" she replied. Then she eyed the mob surrounding Riku. "Should I… join in?"

Sora leapt into the air, harnessing the power of the Valour to float while his twin keyblades wreck havoc upon the Heartless. "If ya want. Go for it Kai!"

Riku deftly executed a spin slash with Way to the Dawn, beheading a Shadow before it even knew it was killed. "I sure hope you know what you're doing Kairi, 'cause I don't!"

Kairi twirled True Heart like she had seen Sora do hundreds of times before. "No problem! Whoops…" Fumbling a bit, she dropped it, and five Heartless jumped on her, only to be knocked away by a Dark Shield generated by Riku. "Um… hehe… sorry?"

Riku smacked a hand to his forehead, then threw it up, summoning another shield to surround his immediate surroundings, trapping the Heartless within to meet a quick death. Once he was finished with them, he let the shield drop.

Glancing around at the few remaining Heartless, he carelessly destroyed another, glancing around to search for Sora. "Sora? Sora! Where are ya?"

"Riku! Over here!"

The call came from his left, and Riku looked over. Sora had trapped the last Shadow into a corner, and whenever it tried to flatten itself into the ground to escape its tormentors, it met with a keyblade tip stuck into the ground, either Oathkeeper or Oblivion depending on which side it tried to escape from. "Hey Kairi! I found something for you to practice on!"

Kairi hurried over, trying not to trip over her own keyblade. She still wasn't completely comfortable with it yet, but she vowed to train until she was, since then she could stop standing on the sidelines and actually fight for what she believed in.

Riku slouched over, dark energy accumulating in his fist. He punched the ground, sending a dark dome around Kairi, Sora and the Heartless, who was by now cowering in fear. "There. That should stop him from running away."

Sora nodded, the red glow fading from him and leaving him in his usual black. Oblivion vanished from his left hand, leaving him wielding only Oathkeeper. "Right Kai, now hold your keyblade in a way that makes you feel comfortable…"

All the while Sora was talking, he never took his eyes off the Heartless, and his vigilance was rewarded when the Shadow tried for an attack on Kairi's unprotected side. Instead of its target, the Heartless slammed into the blade of Oathkeeper, tumbling back onto the ground.

"And never take your eyes off your target. Got all that?" Sora continued as though nothing had happened. His azure eyes were narrowed, watching Kairi while peripherally watching the Shadow Heartless. "You take your eyes off them, you're shish kebab. Your choice."

Kairi giggled a little at his choice of words. "I got it tough guy! Now lemme have a shot at him!" She tried for a scary expression, but failed and merely pouted.

'_Dammit, I need to learn to say no to her…_' Sora thought. He could drown himself in her eyes, as blue as his own, maybe more. Strange, he had never noticed, her eyes turned violet when the sunlight beams refracted into them…

"Sora!"

Riku's voice cut through his musings, and the black blade of Way to the Dawn crashed down onto the Shadow that had tried to attack Sora from behind. With a slight hiss, the whisps of darkness that made up the Shadow dispersed, and the released heart melted away to its original home.

"What happened there? You were the one who told Kairi not to lose track of your target, then you just spaced out!" Riku's anger was coming out in clipped, sharp words. His eyes were glazed over, their dark depths sparkling with an inner light, telling of his legacy to hold both Light and Darkness in one vessel.

"Ehehe…" Sora rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "Sorry 'bout that, I was thinking…" He grinned his trademark lop-sided grin, and Riku couldn't help but soften slightly.

The tall silver-haired teen glanced at Kairi, who was gazing worriedly at Sora, and he smirked. Leaning in as though sharing a secret, he whispered at the brown-haired boy, "So, like what you see?"

"Wha-?! Whadaya mean?" Sora blustered. He sneaked a glance at Kairi too, and quickly looked away when their blue eyes met.

Riku casually put an arm around Sora's shoulder. "Oh, you know what I'm talking about, don't ya?" He then turned and walked away, calling over his shoulder, "If you're alright, we'd better get moving!"

As they walked off, Kairi made things worse by falling into step beside Sora. "Sora…? What happened there?"

The red that inflamed Sora's cheeks was almost as vibrant as Kairi's hair, but luckily the Princess of Hearts was looking deep into Sora's eyes as they walked, which wasn't helping the Wielder of Light any.

"Erm… nothing. It's nothing, Kai."

Kairi shrugged. "Okay. I'll run on ahead, okay?"

Sora nodded absently. "Yeah… go on…"

Kairi stopped walking. "Sora? Are you sure you're alright? You don't look it…" Her cerulean eyes gazed at the back of Sora's bushy head of hair, wondering just what on earth was going on. That was when the hidden figure made his move.

The only warning Kairi got was a slight pulse of wind on her bare legs, then suddenly she wasn't among her friends anymore. If anything she seemed to be flying… Flying? She looked at her feet, and blanched at the sight of the fissure that she had been walking in just moments ago shrinking from her sight, and still growing smaller.

"Help! Sora! Help!" Her screams continued to ring long after Sora had morphed into Final Form and leapt up to the top of the fissure, only to find Kairi gone, and a single black feather stuck into the ground at his feet.

"KAIRI!"

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Like that one? Hope you did. More action coming in the next chapter, if you review! 


	3. Duel to the Death

I planned to post this up a little later, but I managed to get it finished while my internet was still hooked up. Yay! You guys can get to enjoy this (I hope)

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Riku blamed himself. If he hadn't teased Sora about Kairi, they would probably have been more at ease together, and Sora would've been more alert. Way to the Dawn shimmered slightly in his hand, and for a second, he was holding the Soul Eater, the sinister-looking wing-like Keyblade, the one he had used when Ansem's Heartless possessed his body. He nearly recoiled, when it shimmered again and returned to the onyx Keyblade he regarded as his own. 

Sora's eyes, tinted silver with the power only Final Form could give him, were gazing at the spot where Kairi had disappeared into, where she had been carried away into. The only thing he could remember was a pair of black wings… His eyes opened wide as he gasped.

Riku spun around. "What is it, Sora?! Is it Kairi?!"

"Black wings!" Sora shouted. "Who do you know has black wings?"

Riku's eyes widened. "No… No way… he wouldn't… Cloud would never…"

Sora cocked his head. "Cloud? Oh! I forgot he had one as well. No, I'm not talking 'bout him."

Riku's eyes narrowed. "Then Sephiroth?" He clenched his fist. "If Sephiroth took her, Cloud isn't the only one he'll have to watch out for…" he growled.

Sora raised one hand, Oathkeeper rising with it. Casually swinging it down, Oathkeeper left a massive rend in the stone cliff face, leaving itself unmarked. "He better watch out for the third guy too. If he's harmed Kairi…"

The two friends clasped hands, then stood back, Riku opening a dark portal before them. He could open portals to places he had been before, although it sapped a lot of his energy. It involved travelling through the darkness of space, and the shadows that line anywhere that has light.

"Where _are_ we going?" asked Sora, reverting back to his usual dark clothes. His eyes seemed less lively than usual, and there was an aura of danger around him.

Riku eyed him sceptically, noting the slight lines that creased his friend's eyes, laugh lines that he had told him he would get if he laughed too much. He saw the tightness of his friend's jaw, the diminished light in his eyes.

"We're going back to Radiant Garden. If it truly _is_ Sephiroth, it means Cloud won't be too far behind. We're going to get Tifa. Also, we might need reinforcements. Did you see the number of Heartless that ambushed us just now? We're going to need them."

Sora nodded. "Right. Think I should get Donald and Goofy?"

Riku shook his head. "Nuh, bad idea. You know how the King is: first his Queen, now Kairi, we don't want the Wielder of the Gold Keyblade storming off, it'll get him killed if he's not careful."

Sora looked as though he would like to be the one doing the storming around, but he stopped himself. "Right. After you." He mock-bowed, which earned him a friendly punch on the shoulder.

"Smart-arse." The grin on his face revealed that he was taking it in good humour. "Let's go get the guys."

Together, they ran into the portal, Oathkeeper, Oblivion and Way to the Dawn gleaming in the dark.

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"Who are you?! Why did you take me away?!" 

Kairi's screams echoed through the empty hallway she and her captor were walking in, with the former walking before the latter, protesting all the way. The dark figure behind her said nothing, but kept walking, which scared Kairi a lot more than it should.

'Is it a Nobody? One of the Organisation we missed? But Sora took them all out… Who is this freak?' her thoughts ran wildly in her head, and she was helpless to stop them.

'Sora… Where are you?'

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"He WHAT?!" 

"He took Kairi. Sephiroth, that is. We're not sure if it was him, but Cloud and Sephiroth are the only two people we know who have black wings, and that fits in. Besides, Cloud wouldn't take Kairi away." Riku's eyes were closed; it had been a long day. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stay awake.

Somehow, the portal he had summoned had led to the wrong area: Possibly because of Heartless interference. In the World That Never Was, they had been ambushed by a pack of Neo Shadows, and he was already tired from the previous ambush and the summoning of the portal. Luckily for them, Sora was still steamed about Kairi's capture, and a quick morph into Final Form emptied the place pretty quickly.

They had ran to the nearest clear area, and called for the _Terra_ from there, leaving for Radiant Garden. Upon arriving, it was to find a full scale assault by a combined force of Heartless and Nobodies. That in itself was strange enough, but they had also seen strange creatures; like tall heartless with white masks and holes in the centre of their chests, beings with purple jewels from which they call forth strange powers, identical human-like creatures who wore sunglasses and hid powerful pulse guns in their briefcases, humans who wielded curved katanas similar to but shorter than Sephiroth's feared Masamune, and a strange assortment of fearful creatures that collapsed into strands of what looked like Digital code similar to that found in Tron's world whenever they were killed. Whatever it was that had ordered the attack on Radiant Garden wasn't pulling any punches; being able to get Heartless and Nobodies to work together was an incredible feat in itself.

The defensive team of Radiant Garden were putting up a good fight, but it was the returning of Sora and Riku to the only place besides Destiny Island that they called home that tipped the balance.

Rallying himself, Riku had launched headfirst into the fray, Way to the Dawn shearing massive holes through their defences. Sora warped into Master Form, fighting through the ranks to meet up with Leon and Tifa, who were the frontline of the defence. There, he switched to Wisdom form, flying to the rear ranks and opening up with a few '-ga' spells, firing off Firagas, Blizzagas, Thundagas, Gravigas and when Leon or Tifa seemed on the verge of falling below the horde, Curagas.

Merlin stood with him, firing off spells that were incredibly powerful. His normal geniality was gone, the old wizard who at times was downright hilarious had shed that skin, and the power that was exuded from him as massive spells that dropped hundreds of his foes at a time was cast.

The turrets that had been installed just a week earlier was put to the test, as Cid swore while he smoked his stub and electronically sent orders to his specially designed weapons, spraying the battlefield with plasma charged lead. Typing furiously, he input co-ordinates and targets, seeking out big targets like the mask-wearing Heartless-look-alikes, and the big Digital creatures.

With the duo's help, the Radiant Garden team managed to push back the invaders, aided by an unexpected force: King Mickey himself led a charge to smash into the back ranks of the assembled enemies, the Gold Keyblade carving a golden swathe through the besiegers. Goofy and Donald stood by their King as the athletic mouse leapt in and out, dealing death wherever he went. His size was a help more than a hindrance; once he even leapt through the hole in the middle of one of the huge creatures.

Finally, as the setting sun shone blood-red rays over the tired group, they witnessed Sora, in Final Form, destroy the last of the Digital creatures in a showdown that lasted an hour.

Oblivion whirred in a black circle above Sora's head as the creature gazed at him out of emerald green eyes. Oathkeeper swayed slightly, but that was the only indication of Sora's fatigue.

The enemy he was facing was dressed in black armour, with a tri-horned helmet. Green eyes gazed steadily at Sora, and powerful black gauntlets with three protruding claws hung by his sides. His chest armour was tied together by thick ropes, yet it was durable enough to take a Ragnarok by both Oathkeeper and Oblivion. The black shield on his back was cracked slightly, a souvenir from King Mickey's Golden Keyblade.

"What is your name?"

Sora was startled. The creature had asked his name, and he sounded almost perfectly normal, with a slight rasping undertone and a deep resonance that must come from his inhumanity.

"Why do you care?" he returned.

The warrior before him shrugged. "Is it not custom? That two warriors exchange names before a duel, so that formalities can be met. Someone who is about to die should surely know his killer's name."

Sora pondered on this a while as his enemy waited patiently, then nodded. "My name is Sora. And yours?"

The warrior bowed his head. "I am BlackWarGreymon. Shall we begin?"

Sora returned the nod. "As you wish."

What followed was one of Sora's greatest battles: Here was someone who didn't play tricks, who fought with honour and strength, and was equal to some of his greatest enemies. Every attack was met with a block or a parry; he evaded strikes by the powerful claws by mere millimetres. Although he had the greater range, BlackWarGreymon had the greater skill and power. They were almost evenly matched, and that was where the greatest difficulty lay.

Since they were evenly matched, neither had the upper hand and both needed their full concentration to stay alive. Sora was skilled, but most of his matches were against enemies much stronger than him. Because of that, they usually had a momentary lapse of concentration during the fight, believing themselves victorious. Sora used that lapse to win, which was what had got him this far.

But Sora's main problem lied in stamina. In short bursts, he could easily hold his own. But in a long, drawn out battle, he invariably worsened as the battle went on. Riku, watching from the ground at the aerial battle, held himself back; Sora's pride was his to fight for, not Riku. If he acted, Sora would feel worse than if he lost, and so he had to keep fighting, while Riku watched from the ground, tightening his hold on Way to the Dawn.

After introducing themselves, neither fighter spoke, the only noises coming from grunts and battle cries. Sparks flew from where Keyblade met gauntlet, and green and blue eyes flashed with the power coursing through them. Merlin, watching with the mystical sight, could see the fires burning inside them; Sora's pure white with a flickering pale blue heart, BlackWarGreymon's grey with an emerald core. The two flames pushed against each other, fighting for supremacy.

Suddenly, the two warriors clashed their weapons and locked, Sora holding the twin Keyblades physically for the first time in Final Form, BlackWarGreymon using one gauntlet to take the force of both Keyblades while using the other gauntlet to brace himself. They were locked into a stalemate.

"Sora…"

Again BlackWarGreymon had surprised Sora by speaking when he wasn't expecting it. He cursed himself inwardly, blocking out the strain that he was starting to feel in his arms.

"What?" was his reply, clipped around the edges by his tiredness.

"I don't think either of us has the strength to go on for much longer. The next attack will decide it. Are you ready?"

Sora was astounded beyond belief. This BlackWarGreymon, whatever he was, had a rigid code of honour. Sora could tell that given time and had they not been enemies, they would have become powerful allies, and good friends. He could only nod.

When he did, BlackWarGreymon pushed the two of them apart, and they hovered in mid-air. BlackWarGreymon held his two gauntlets before him, one palm up, the other palm down, the one facing up going under the one facing down so he was holding them almost touching palm to palm.

Sora slung Oathkeeper into the air, where it shimmered and disappeared. Oblivion was flung downwards, where it was absorbed by the ground itself. In his hands, two new Keyblades formed: Ultima Weapon, the most powerful Keyblade he had ever wielded and rumoured to be the strongest; and Fenrir, the immense Keyblade bequeathed to him by Tifa. Its attacking power exceeded all but Ultima Weapon, of which it was just shy of, while possessing immense range, the most out of his arsenal.

BlackWarGreymon slowly drew his hands apart. Immense energies rushed in through the vacuum that had somehow formed in that small, slow motion, and formed a sphere of pure flame in his hands that grew as he drew his hands further apart.

Ultima Weapon and Fenrir started to hum with energy, as the Dual Wielder of Light poured all his power, his frustration at losing Kairi again, his anger at the horde for invading Radiant Garden, all his emotions and fear into the dual Keyblades. He let go of them, but they continued to float around him, spinning around slowly at first, but speeding up bit by bit.

Riku could feel his hair stand on an end, the immense energy pouring off the two combatants holding him in place. He couldn't move a muscle, but could only watch as his best friend prepared himself for an attack that could kill him.

BlackWarGreymon now held an immense ball of living fire above his head, his hands far apart, the ball sprouting almost from his hands. Then the orange-red colour darkened, first turning into a deep maroon, then changing into a pale purple with dark highlights.

Ultima Weapon and Fenrir suddenly stopped spinning, Sora's eyes, which until then had been shut, snapping open, revealing the swirling silver of the Final Form.

As though that was the signal, BlackWarGreymon launched the massive ball of hellish flames, which sped towards Sora, then followed after it headfirst, his claws placed tip to tip above his head. He started to spin, around and around faster and faster, until he resembled nothing more than a miniature tornado coming at his target.

Sora raised both hands, the ultimate Keyblades speeding through the air and landing neatly in his hands. He started forward, picking up speed until his flight was almost blurry. Streaks of energy blasted past him, increasing his speed even further, while the air before him parted as though he were an arrow. The energy streaks behind him suddenly reversed direction, shooting around him at the ball of flame.

All the members of Radiant Garden held their breath as the two combatants flew closer and closer to each other, rooted to the spot by the massive energies pouring off them. Merlin's eyes were nearly dazzled, the flames within each of them growing to mammoth proportions.

Lionheart, the unique weapon of Leon, suddenly began to give a high-pitched shriek, followed closely by Conformer, Yuffie's massive shuriken. The Golden Keyblade in the King's hand started to glow, and Merlin's wand followed suit. Their wielders didn't even noticed; their eyes were locked on Sora and BlackWarGreymon.

Then Sora's and BlackWarGreymon's attacks made contact.

* * *

I remember the first time I came across a cliffhanger; it made me _soooo_ mad. Now, I have my revenge! Review please!  



	4. An Angel for Death

Wow, this story seems to get longer each chapter... I _thought_ the first chapter was short. Anyway, let's see if this chapter will measure up to your standards.

To my reviewers:  
The Elven-Spear: I still haven't figured out whether or not your review was a compliment or an insult, or just an emotionless exclaimation. But hey, you reviewed. Thanks for it mate.  
littlehomiieex3: Thanks for sticking to Chapter 2. Here's Chapter 4. As for whether it's Sephiroth... I guess you'll just have to see, won't you?  
bailkatanas: Wow, thanks. That was one big compliment you paid me. Here's Chapter 4, as a way of saying thanks!  
tenisdesi91: They do, don't they? Well, this solves your problems for now, don't they? Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

As the explosion of BlackWarGreymon and Sora's contact rocked the eardrums of the anxiously waiting spectators, Kairi watched the scene from far away, through a glass pane that opened back onto their world. In fact, from her perspective, she was looking onto the battle from the very top, almost from Merlin's own room. She kept half expecting to turn around and see the warm comfortable fire of her mentor's conjuring. 

She heard a door close behind her, and whirled around. Crimson beams of light shone from her clenched fist and True Heart materialized as she settled into her stance, legs spread wide but bent together at the knees, her red keyblade pointed at the neck of the tall black-cloaked figure that was now facing her.

"Get the hell away from me." Her words were dangerous, her voice low and menacing, her eyes flashing.

To her surprise, the figure did just that. In fact, it sat down, and threw back the hood to reveal a male face lined with fatigue. Then, the man smiled, and the years went away.

"Strong language, ain't it? You're a bit young to be talkin' like that, Kairi."

Kairi nearly dropped True Heart in surprise. Her resolve wavered, and True Heart shimmered slightly. "Ho- How did you… Wha…?"

The man laughed. "Sorry if I scared you crazy. I didn't mean to carry you away like that. But it was the only way I could get you away from Sora and Riku."

Kairi still felt ill at ease. Coupled that with the furious yearning to know what had happened to Sora after his clash with BlackWarGreymon and she thought it was a wonder her head didn't explode. However, there was a strange feeling inside, one that said, no, _insisted_ on her trusting this strange man who had spirited her away.

The man glanced at her face, then his eyes flitted to the window that overlooked the battlefield. A small smile flitted across his face. "Worried 'bout him, are ya?"

Kairi gave a nervous start, True Heart clanging on the floor as she released her grasp on the crimson keyblade. Her cerulean eyes were caught by his silver ones, which refused to let her go, forcing her to explore their shining depths. Stammering, she managed to say, "What are you talking about?"

The man chuckled. "You know what I'm talking 'bout, Kairi. You know more than you think you do, and more than maybe even me." He sat up straighter. "Sora. You're worried 'bout him, ain'tcha?"

Kairi's face turned the same shade as her hair, but she defiantly looked him in the eye. "So what if I am? How do you know the three of us anyway?!"

The man leant back on the chair he had slumped into with a sigh, gazing up at the ceiling of the room they were in. Kairi's eyes followed his, and together they gazed at the ceiling, memories flooding both of them.

The ceiling itself was odd, with a silvery sheen that Kairi couldn't place. It seemed to flicker, than darkened. Kairi drew in an involuntary breath, then her eyes widened as the contents of the ceiling started to swirl and distort. As they did, she found her mind being drawn inexorably towards Sora. How as he faring? The catastrophic explosion that had occurred when he and BlackWarGreymon had collided, had he survived? No… he _had_ survived, she was sure of it. Something about him lingered always with her, as something of her had always stayed with him. That was how he had always managed to find her, and how she always knew he was safe. She had given her heart to him after all, it was only naturally this bond should exist. But she was still afraid…

As the thoughts whirled in her head, she suddenly noticed that the ceiling had changed. Thinking of Sora brought on a deep red tinge, and Riku brought a strange mix of black and white, something that wasn't quite grey, yet wasn't quite separate. She hesitated a bit, then thought of the man sitting opposite her, lost in thought as he gazed at the everchanging ceiling. Immediately, the color lightened into a brilliant white, so bright it almost hurt to look at it. She chanced a glance at the man, and was startled when he kept gazing at the ceiling, uncaring of the brilliance. It was then that something wild occurred to her: _He couldn't see the colour changes!_ But on reflection, she thought it wasn't so strange after all, how could a ceiling mirror her thoughts anyway?

After what seemed like an eternity, the mysterious man stirred. His silver eyes flashed across the room, capturing Kairi in their depths again. She gulped, but he just smiled. "So, made up your mind yet?"

Kairi slumped down into the floor, True Heart vanishing with a slight reassuring whisp of air. "About?" she asked wearily.

"Whether or not you should trust me." He said it without anger, without haste, just a simple statement.

Kairi shook her head, vermillion strands flittering over her face. "I don't know… I don't know what to do…" She held her face in her hands, and a single tear rolled down across her cheek.

"My name is Kurai. Kurai Tenshi."

The proclamation startled her, but then everything about this man surprised her. She glanced up, rubbing determinedly at one eye that still threatened tears. "…What?"

He held his hands palm up to the sides, in a 'whatever' gesture. "Didn't you say you wanna know who I am? That's your answer."

Suddenly, a small detail flashed into Kairi's mind. Black wings… She chanced a quick glance at the man, but there was no hint of the black feathers. Strange… she thought.

But Kurai caught even that small gesture and shrugged. Standing up, immense black wings sprouted from his shoulder blades, stretching from one end of the room to the other. The dark hue was almost identical to Sephiroth's own single wing, but this was darker, if it even could be. It wasn't so much black as an absence of colour; if not for the slight highlights where one feather ended and the other began, she would've thought there was a black spot in her vision where the wings were.

Kairi backed up until her back was touching the wall, True Heart materializing in her hand again as she trembled, both out of fear and the strange certainty that this adventure was going to make her last one seem like a walk through Destiny Islands. "Kurai Tenshi…" she muttered. "_Black Angel…, Dark Angel…_" ­­

With a snap of Kurai's fingers, the wings disappeared, leaving behind only a few feathers that floated gently to the ground, which they seemed to melt into­. He sat back down, smirking. "So, did that make you revoke your vote of trust?"

Kairi got up shakily, her legs aching. True Heart was wobbling slightly in her grasp, her mind screaming for Sora. She could do nothing but stare numbly at the man who sat before her.

'Sora!'

* * *

"Kairi!"

Sora jerked up from the bed, his eyes wide and staring. Oathkeeper and Oblivion burst forth in his hands and he tried to jump out of bed, but fell back with a gasp of pain, the twin keyblades vanishing in the same instant he hit the bed. A curse could be heard, but the darkness inside the room made it impossible to make out the speaker.

"Sora, calm down!" Riku's clear voice rang through the air into his ears, and he winced at the volume. He heard footsteps, although he couldn't see his friend, and in seconds he felt a cool cloth on his forehead, slightly wet. Riku looked tired and worn to his eyes.

Then suddenly, his eyes opened wide. It was dark, yet he had seen Riku's face as easily and clearly as though it had been daylight. He could tell it was dark, yet everything was as clear to him as if it were light. He could tell by Riku's slight fumblings in his normal smooth movements that he couldn't see as clearly as him, and at times Sora nearly called out to him to tell him the exact location of something that Riku was searching for a small distance away. Yet he contained himself; it would be hard to explain his new vision, although he would use it to help him get Kairi back.

After a while, with Riku busying himself around the room, Sora struggled upright. In a flash, the Wielder of Dawn and Dusk was by his side, trying to stop him. "Sora, you shouldn't be up. Your injuries have barely healed. Get back in bed before I make a Dark Shield around it to force you."

Injuries? Sora pondered on it for a second, then remembered the reason he was lying here in the first place. "BlackWarGreymon?" he ventured.

"Oh, he's fine. He recovered quickly, then left for his home. Turns out he was just a mercenary, paid to fight in the invasion." Riku's tone was light, but his eyebrows were drawn together, and it seemed as though he was holding back. In the dark, Sora's new vision easily picked out the difference, and his tone was surprisingly cold.

"Don't lie to me, Riku. What happened to him?"

Riku looked taken aback, and his body stiffened. His steel grey eyes held something within other than his usual darkness and cool, and for a second, Sora detected what looked like fear. Fear? Riku?

"He…" Riku's voice faltered a bit. "After the explosion, we… found him. He was… he was in a massive crater, suffering from multiple internal injuries. His code, as he called it, kept leaking out from somewhere we couldn't locate. His last words were that he was proud to have fought you…" His voice carried away into the darkness, and he wasn't looking at Sora. "He just vanished, the code unravelling his body like he was just a piece of cloth, and someone was pulling a single thread, dissolving it." His voice bordered on a whisper, but the silence of the room allowed Sora to let the words sink in.

"We couldn't find you, and… and…" He clasped a hand to his forehead. "I was pretty scared, let me tell you. Don't you ever pull that trick on me again, y'hear?"

Riku had nearly gone off his head, Way to the Dawn shearing massive holes in the ground as he searched for the lost Dual Wielder. His voice had gone hoarse with shouting Sora's name, and his silver eyes had gone completely black. He couldn't let the chance that Sora might've died like BlackWarGreymon without him by his side prevail; his best friend wouldn't die so easily.

King Mickey had ordered a full-scaled search, joining in himself despite protests. The Wielder of the Gold Keyblade had made his wishes very clear: He was joining in the search, and woe betide anyone who tried to stop him. A single sword-wielding human from the invading horde had tried to surprise the small mouse from behind, only to suffer a death no one would wish for, Mickey slashing backwards without even looking and disembowelling him, before flipping onto him and thrusting the Gold Keyblade straight down to smash his brain. The mouse had then continued on his search, no expression on his face.

Donald and Goofy had also been searching, and despite Mickey and Riku's best efforts, Riku secretly doubted anyone could've searched as hard as the duo did. Goofy's Save the King shield parted massive boulders as easily as the Gold Keyblade did, and a Hastega by Donald followed by Aeroga enabled to duo to search at great speeds. Their calls had been tinted a bit by despair and a bit by pure hope, but they had searched as long as Riku did, and faster. Their journeys with Sora had given them a great respect for the brown-haired spikey-headed Wielder, but the immense forces at play in the final clash had them doubting that even Sora could survive. King Mickey himself could attest to the strength of the fierce Digital warrior; his shield could even stand up to multiple blows from the Gold Keyblade. And BlackWarGreymon had died. Where was Sora?

They found him upright, the powers from the clash and Final Form keeping him standing, although his eyes were closed. Ultima Weapon and Fenrir were stuck tip first into the ground on either side of him, and the silver tinge of Final Form still swirled around him.

Even going near him had their bodies tingling, the energies emanating from him still present. Yet even as they neared, the silver drained out of him, and he started to sway on his feet. Riku was the first to reach him, leaping in and catching him just before he fell onto the ground, suffering numerous bruises and cuts as he did so.

Merlin had cast a powerful recovery spell, but the power that Sora was unconsciously spilling out negated any effect it might've had. Then Leon had suggested they did it the old fashioned way: Pick him up and get him to the ward. The practical suggestion was taken up by Goofy, who tenderly cradled his friend in his arms, using his shield to provide a comfortable sling. Donald had cast another Hastega, followed by summoning a slight wind to help speed them along. Merlin had then shown another side of his power, teleporting them all to the ward to help prepare for their arrival.

Aerith had gone to work, preparing the ward for her patient. Yuffie took upon herself the task of messenger and supplier, the hyperactive ninja running everywhere bringing hot water, mushed up porridge and messages of hope and faith. Flying behind her, Rikku of the YRP helped, sometimes reminding her of stuff she forgot, sometimes helping carrying a bucket of water, the two hyper girls constantly chattering to each other.

The other two Gullwings flew through the battlefield, their mobility making them invaluable in squeezing through small holes left behind from the climatic clash. Of course, they demanded a fee, but the plight made them lower to cost to only a small fraction of what they would normally cost.

Leon, standing with Merlin on the upper battlements, took note of everything: The Gullwings' mobility, the King's power, speed and agility, Goofy's incredible endurance, Donald and Merlin's awesome magical powers, Aerith's calm presence and healing skills, Tifa's physical prowess, and the power of the two Wielders.

And so they were ready when Goofy finally arrived, his precious burden in his arms. Aerith immediately banned everyone except Riku from the ward, and told him to stay out of the way. Going to work on Sora, she had analysed the wounds, and judged them to be not so much external as internal. The finale of Sora and BlackWarGreymon's battle had not damaged any of them much externally; the immense energies and powers at work had been transferred forcibly from one body to the other, and thus damaged them more inside than it had outside. Sora had survived by pure force of will, a stubborn insistence to save Kairi again.

It was touch and go for a while, and Sora was hovering in front of Kingdom Hearts for the better part of the time. But finally, with a combination of will that was part Aerith's, part Sora's, part Riku's, and in a way part Kairi's, they had pulled Sora back from a death sleep to a light sleep. Aerith had then left, and Riku had stood guard until Sora had awoken, crying out Kairi's name.

Sora gulped, knowing how close to death he had come to. "I'll try, but no guarantees." He grinned his trademark lop-sided grin, which Riku, although he couldn't see in the dark, felt.

"Tough guy."

Then Riku frowned. "Why did you call out Kairi's name?" His voice seemed to break a little when he said Kairi's name, but he didn't react otherwise.

Sora's eyes dimmed a little at the mention of Kairi, his azure eyes clouding over. "I don't… know… I just had this feeling that she needed me…" He held his hand before himself, and a brilliant white light lit up the room for a brief second as Oathkeeper materialized.

"I promised her, Riku. I made an oath. If I can't keep it…" He threw the white keyblade across the room. "Then I'm not fit to use this…"

But to his surprise, the keyblade had vanished in a flash of light and reappeared in his hand. His face hardened with determination, and he clenched his fist. Next to him, Riku clasped his shoulder.

"We'll find Kairi, and bring her back. I promise."

Sora nodded. 'We'll get you back, Kairi…'

'_I promise._'

* * *

Like I said, this one's longer. I get the feeling that the more battle scenes I stick here the longer it'll get. Ah well, s'long as you guys enjoy it, eh? Please review! Else I won't be able to cater for the crew! 


	5. Search for a Princess

Well guys, here's the 5th Chapter. I didn't think I'd work this fast, but hey, things happen. Hope you guys enjoy. Disclaimer on first chapter.

Reviewers:  
bailkatanas: Thanks for that, hpoe this one continues to meet your expectations, and all future ones as well.  
tennisdesi91: All will be revealed. Stay with the story, and you _might_ just find out what he wants.  
Silent Blade: Right. Here's the next update!  
The Elven-Spear: Aww... thanks. Digimon is an awesome anime, it's just those biased people who say it's for kids, somehow ignoring all the death and stuff going on, especially all the mature themes. It's aimed at _teens,_ not _kids_.  
ComicallyInsane: Hmmm... your theory makes sense now when I think of it, and now that I _have_ thought of it, it seems pretty darn obvious that it's a possibility. But still, I don't like it much. I prefer my own theory, which is what you'll see in the fanfic. Hope that won't turn you away.

Well, now that that's over, here's the story itself! Enjoy!

* * *

Kairi opened her eyes. She was in the same room, white untarnished walls, a ceiling that somehow reflected her thoughts, and a pane in the wall that looked out over Radiant Garden. Yet somehow, she felt a lot better than she had before she went to sleep. She mulled over the dream. It had been a good one. 

"_Kairi!" _

"_Sora!"_

"_Kairi! Remember what you said before? I'm always with you too. I'll come back to you! I promise!" _

"_I know you will!"_

Memories flooded her, and she squeezed her eyes tight shut. A single tear trickled out of one eye, and out of sight, the ceiling whirled around in a crimson maelstrom. 'Sora… are you alright? I couldn't find you in the glass… where are you?'

Her eyes opened, their aqua depths unseeing as she gazed absently at the ruby ceiling. 'I've decided to trust him. I don't have any other choice now do I? Don't worry, I'll come back. I've got my keyblade, I can fight for myself now. Be careful, Sora. Don't go getting hurt, alright?'

She turned on her side, sighing. It had been three days since she had been 'brought' here, as Kurai called it. She herself didn't see the difference between what he had done and kidnapping, but she hadn't been treated poorly. On the contrary, Kurai seemed to have gone out of his way to make sure she wouldn't feel mistreated, although she had seen no obvious signs of that. But often, she noticed little things, things like a slow changing of her food: The ones which she had been reluctant to touch whenever she was served disappeared from her next meal, and her appetites were always duly satisfied. The ceiling, although slightly disconcerting at first, soon grew on her, and she often amused herself by seeing which thought conjured which colour, and trying to predict what the next thought would bring.

But invariably, her thoughts would stray to Sora and Riku, as she wondered what had become of them. She had no doubt they wouldn't rest until they had found her, and they had found her the first and second time, but she still worried. Especially after seeing the look in Sora's eyes when she was watching the invasion. She shuddered. The utter anger in his eyes when he faced off against BlackWarGreymon still scared her, even now. She didn't ever want to see her Sora like that again.

Wait… _Her_ Sora? Since when was he _her_ Sora? Her eyes snapped open from their nearly close position, and she sat upright, vainly pushing her vermillion bangs out of her face. Shaking her head furiously, she suddenly stopped, looking at the ceiling. In the middle of the blood-coloured marble-like substance was a single ray of light, one that grew larger and larger until it completely covered the ceiling. It wasn't _pure_ white; it was the colour of light, something that was both white and at the same time a spectrum of numerous colours.

She sat lost in the colour of the everchanging ceiling, her mind blissfully blank. But instead of reverting back to the normal marble-like shade that it normally had when she slept or was just staring blankly off into space without thinking of anything in particular, it remain the same bright hue. The closest Kairi could come of to a name was ice-stone-light, it was like a mix of the main colours that made up this single shade. The cold clear blue of ice, the slate-grey of stone and the brightness of light, all melded in harmony.

How long she sat there like that, she didn't know. But as she slowly returned to reality, she suddenly became aware of a still figure sitting opposite her, watching her carefully. Shaking herself mentally, she brought herself fully aware and glared at the man who had brought her here.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, a slight note of anger in her voice at being disturbed. "What're you looking at?"

Kurai looked serious; one of the few times she had ever seen him like that. But then his face smoothed over, and he leant back, a small smile on his face. But in a strange way, the smile was almost… sad in a way. And sad was not something Kairi had ever attributed to the tall man who was now sitting opposite her.

Her voice changed, becoming tentative, and almost afraid. "Ku… Kurai?"

Kurai shook his head, giving a small chuckle. "I'm alright kid. It's just…" His silver eyes gazed into hers for a split second before he dropped the gaze. "You look so much like her…"

Suddenly, he stood up, making Kairi shrink back. He laughed, the aura of reminiscence disappearing from around him. "Still don't trust me? Heh… you're gonna have to get used to it Kairi. Don't worry, I won't do nothing. Sora'll kill me if I did."

Kairi stood up as well, refusing to be placated, her cheeks burning at her immediate reflexive action. "What do you want me to do before you bring me back to Sora?!" she asked loudly. "It's been three days! _Three days!_ When were you planning to let me go?!"

Kurai laughed again. "When you gain some basic mastery of the keyblade, that's when. Right now you're nothing but a liability to Sora and Riku, if you don't mind my bluntness."

"Like I have a choice…" Kairi cut in, her voice low and mutinous.

Kurai's eyes narrowed, his brain taking in information. 'So much like her…' He thought, then laughed out loud again. "You're fiery. That explains why Sora likes you."

Kairi's eyes opened wide as she gasped in surprise, her cheeks flaming up to match her hair. "Wha- What are you talking about?!" she yelled at him. In a blaze of fury, embarrassment and horror, as well as a fear that he could _possibly_ be right, True Heart exploded into her hand and she attempted a swipe at the tall man.

"Easy, Kairi. You can take someone's head off easily; the hard part is putting it back on again."

Kairi was starting to wonder if this man was even human. But then again, remembering the wings, he most probably wasn't. True Heart had stopped in mid-air, the blade flush with the palm of his hand. He was keeping the keyblade at bay without difficulty, bare-handed! Where his fingers should've been sliced clean off, he was easily holding the keyblade away from his face without even a drop of blood, still grinning.

With a flash, True Heart disappeared, and Kairi slumped down on the bed, refusing to look at her tormentor. Her eyes blazed clear hatred, but there was something… insecure-ness? A sense of… wonderment? Uncertainty? Kurai couldn't tell, and he didn't want to.

Kurai offered her his hand, bending over somewhat so she could reach. Sullenly, Kairi refused to take it, and he sighed and withdrew it. "Geez… I didn't know training you would be so hard. And here I thought it'd be a simple job…"

Kairi turned around at the sound of this. "Train? I don't need training!" she spat.

Kurai shook his head again, and this time Kairi caught what looked like a single tear trickling down his face. Tear? Kurai, crying? That didn't make sense…

When Kurai stopped shaking his head, there was no sign of the tear anymore, and Kairi wondered whether she had imagined it. But the sad smile that played around the edge of Kurai's lips made her wonder if he was really such a bad sort after all.

"You're really like her, a lot more than either of you could've known… Ruin…" murmured Kurai.

"What?" Kairi leant forward. "Did you say something about me? Who do I look like?" There wasn't much anger in her voice now, just curiosity.

Kurai smiled again. "The previous Wielder of Love, Ruin Antham."

Kairi sat stock still, receiving her third shock of the day.

"Heh, I suppose that _is_ a lot of stuff to absorb… I'll just ask you one thing. Will you answer?" Kurai asked.

Kairi nodded dumbly, unable to speak against the torrent of words that kept threatening to spill out of her mouth.

"Will you let me train you, so you can fight aside Sora?" His voice was serious, no trace of the usual light-hearted flippancy that usually imbued his words. His silver eyes drowned her, so much like Riku's, but in its own way different…

Kairi nodded again, barely trusting her voice. Finally, at long last, she trusted him. This strange man, whose name meant Angel, the Dark Angel, who knew her ancestor, who knew the Wielder of Love, who had taken her away from Sora, she finally completely trusted him, as much as she would have trusted Sora or Riku. And considering that she had trusted Sora with her heart, there was nothing she would refuse him.

"I will."

* * *

After Sora's recovery, which took all of three days, the duo set off again, this time with a gang of friends. After the meeting in which Tifa had nearly smashed a table in two, where Merlin had them laughing with fits of coughing after accidentally drinking a cup of washing liquid which he had had to cough up, and where Yuffie had leapt onto the table and promptly tripped over, upsetting the table, and where Riku and Sora had told their tale, the Radiant Garden committee had come to an unanimous decision: Tifa would go along with the duo to watch out for Cloud and Sephiroth, while Leon and Yuffie would follow on after them, just in case they ran into trouble and needed help. Riku and Sora doubted they will meet trouble they couldn't handle, but they decided that an extra three pairs of eyes would come in useful. 

"After all, if whoever took Kairi away came back, he'd have to deal with three more eyes now. Let's see him try to get away with that…" said Sora. At the mention of Kairi everyone fell silent for a second, before resuming a now rather strained conversation.

Riku had excused himself and gone out; a blast of black and white light told them that Way to the Dawn was now in his hand and lashing out at the training dummies Leon, Yuffie, Tifa, Sora and Riku used. Sora had glanced away, refusing to meet the eyes of anyone. Everyone present missed the cheery laugh of the red-haired Princess of Hearts, but no one missed her more than the Dual Wielder of Light and the Wielder of Dawn.

They were both more silent than usual, with Riku only opening up his naturally lonely self to embrace the King farewell before King Mickey returned to Disney Castle. Goofy and Donald hugged Sora goodbye. They wished they could help him like they did in his previous adventures, but with King Mickey in the state he was now; they didn't think it was possible. Fortunately, Mickey had vented some of his rage in the rout, and was now almost back to his old self, although his edges were still a little frayed.

They had said their goodbyes, and went their separate ways. Sora, Riku and Tifa had lead the way in the _Terra_, the King's _Eteria_ following in their wake, carrying Leon and Yuffie. The hyperactive ninja had jumped up and down with joy at knowing she would be following, but Sora and Riku were not fooled. Having faced her in the Coliseum before under Hercules' and Philoctetes' supervision, they had managed to beat her and Leon, but it had been a close thing. She was a fierce fighter, ranked among the top in the Coliseum.

Aerith and Cid saw them off, Merlin trying to concoct a defensive spell while the Gullwings decided to take the cleaning of the field around Radiant Garden after the battle into their own hands. They had decided that while they had food and shelter in Radiant Garden, they wouldn't charge… yet… Huey, Duey, Louey and Scrooge McDuck also saw them off, with the old duck thanking them profusely for protecting his money vaults and the new formula for sea-salt ice cream.

At last, in the deep blackness of the void between the worlds, the two Wielders leant back and relaxed physically, although their minds were constantly searching multiple possibilities. Where could Kairi have been taken? The World That Never Was had been closed off to them ever since Sora had locked Kingdom Hearts, and a quick inter-world call using the King's phone had revealed that the respective kings, rulers and residents of the worlds had received no knowledge on her.

Simba saw no sign of her, Tron's scanners couldn't detect her digital signature, Triton's trident told him there had been no foreign entries, Cogsworth replied on behalf of the Beast that Kairi hadn't appeared, Alice heard from the Cheshire Cat that Kairi was both there and not there, Tarzan's scouts found no trace, Pooh Bear said she wasn't in the Honey Tree, Merlin's spells reveal nothing in Radiant Garden, Jack Skellington asked if they were coming for Christmas but no, no Kairi, Hercules said there had been no contestants for the Pain & Panic Cup lately, Wakka said the Destiny Islands band missed Kairi, Seifer and the Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee dismissed the idea, Jack Sparrow couldn't find her on the Black Pearl but maybe she was in Davy Jones' locker, Timeless River's Pete didn't even know there was such a person, Aladdin's scouts and Abu couldn't find her anywhere, Peter Pan and Tink couldn't find so much as a footprint, and Mulan and Shang failed in their search. Which left only one place: The alternate dimension they were walking in when she got kidnapped in the first place. The trio said nothing, each busy with their own thoughts.

'Cloud… Sephiroth…' Tifa clenched her fist. She could easily punch a massive hole in the Gummi Ship, her tension easy to feel, but the prospect of the absence of oxygen wasn't exactly tempting. 'Black wings… Could it really be you two? Cloud… come back. We need you, Barret needs you… Vincent needs you… Marlene needs you, Denzel needs you, Yuffie needs you, Nanaki needs you, Cid needs you… Aerith needs you. _I_ need you…' Her fist clenched tighter.

Riku wasn't really thinking of anything, just letting the absence of light in the void between the worlds fill his mind. The settling calm of nothing soothed him, and he began to relax for the first time since Kairi had been taken. 'Kairi, wherever you are, hold on. We're coming to get you, whatever happens. For your sake… and Sora's…' He threw a glance at his best friend.

'Kairi… where are you? I'll find you, I promise… I made an oath, didn't I?' Sora looked down at the Oathkeeper, which rested comfortably in his hand. 'I won't fail you, not again…' Thoughts of his helplessness to help Axel flashed through his mind. 'Not like I failed Axel… Not like I failed Riku… not like I failed myself. Never.'

The trio sped silently into the void, before the King's voice came across the intercom. "Guys, get ready. This should be a safe enough spot to use the navigation Gummi. Just make sure no one gets caught in the slipstream. I'm beaming Leon and Yuffie over to you now. Standby for arrival."

Riku nodded, although Mickey couldn't see him. "Standing by," he said into the intercom. "Transfer Room clear. Send 'em over, Your Majesty."

After a few seconds of nothing, a bright beam of light was shot from the _Eteria_, speeding towards the _Terra_ and hitting the small receiver dish that was installed into the framework. Atoms and molecules merged and separated, and in the Transfer Room, a small room with cushioned sides, the tall lanky figure of Leon formed, followed by a dishevelled Yuffie leaning weakly on the sides.

"Ugh… I hate beam transferring. Why couldn't we have just docked and walked over?"

Leon slouched over to the door, opening it nearly silently, a legacy inherited from his mercenary days when silence had been vital. "It's for speed. Each second, Kairi and the Queen are being taken farther away. We need to find them."

Yuffie pouted, then screamed as a grinning Tifa flipped the navigational Gummi that would transport them across dimensions, one specially magicked by Merlin, drawing on powers that had been summoned by Sora while in Final Form. The power from the forms came from across dimensions, and this Merlin used to his advantage.

In a blast of colour and light, along with screams from Yuffie, they warped along to a point where the very fabric of space and time parted, and the dimensional Gummi piece activated, bringing them to their destination.

As the group shook their heads to clear the stars from their eyes, Sora looked down onto the fissure that he had been walking through only four days ago. Four days? It seemed so long ago that he had woken up from a dream.

"Sora?"

Spinning around, he looked up into the dark, concerned eyes of Riku. "You alright, Sora?"

Sora nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Not that long ago, they had been walking through that fissure, joking, laughing, on a friendly quest to rescue Minnie. Now it had turned into something a lot more personal, with a lot more than the Queen's life at stake. Kairi was a Princess of the Heart: With her death, Kingdom Hearts would re-open once more.

But none of that mattered to Sora. All he cared about was Kairi, to get her back safely, to destroy whoever took her away. Riku looked into the azure eyes of his friends and understood straight away. He nodded once, gripped Sora's shoulder tightly for a second, then leapt down to join the waiting trio of Leon, Yuffie and Tifa.

Left alone on the plateau with the wind of the _Terra_'s departure still blowing through his hair, Sora sighed. 'Well Kairi, we're back. Back where it all started. I don't start fights, I end them. And whoever started this, I'll find him. Then I'll end him. Don't worry Kai, I'm coming.'

He leapt down to join his friends, and with shared meaningful glances all around, without words needing to be exchanged, they set off, Leon and Yuffie pitching a camp right where they were, while he, Riku and Tifa went ahead as they had planned.

Above them a star winked out, and a single black feather drifted to the ground, unnoticed by any of them.

* * *

Yes, I have a _thing_ for feathers. As for _who_ that feather came from... Now that's the real mystery. Is it Kurai? Or is it someone else? Cloud? Sephiroth? Or someone else entirely? Don't ask me, I don't know. xD I'm making this up as I go along peoples! Please review!  



	6. Wielder Meets Angel

Well, I was working exceptionally fast today, so I'll be kind and post up Chapter 6! Not gonna say anything more, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

"Kyaah!" 

Kairi fell back on her behind, crying out in pain. True Heart glimmered in the sunlight as she pulled herself upright, glaring at the tall man who had easily sent her flying with a casual flick of the sword he was holding.

It was the first time she had been brought outside her room, but that was mostly her fault: her stubborn-ness and anger at being captured blinding her to the obvious fact that her room was unlocked. She had been startled by the awesome beauty that had met her eyes as soon as she stepped outside; her room lacked windows except for the one that overlooked Radiant Garden. Flowers of every variety bloomed in the dazzling sun, and the light patter of paws could be heard as small rabbits darted everywhere. A large tree in the middle of the yard provided both shelter from the sun and the added temptation of heavy fruit that hung from its burdened boughs.

But Kairi didn't have time to think about the beauty of the place anymore. For her, it was now a training facility and arena, where Kurai would take her and they would both put in countless hours of training. Or at least, that was the way Kurai put it.

Kurai motioned her over. "Kairi, ya gotta learn how to relax. If you're all stiff, the slightest contact with your keyblade will ring through your body. Not fun if the contact is a hard one. Relax, don't grip it tightly. Hold onto it, but be ready to tighten it in a second's moment. Ready?"

Kairi nodded, fierce determination on her face. Her grip tightened involuntarily around the grip of her keyblade, but she forced it to relax. Relax… She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, the tight lines on her face loosening, and she managed to calm herself down. Her heart slowed down from the erratic beating it had been doing when she was sent flying through the air, and a sense of peace came over her. She opened her eyes and nodded again, this time with conviction.

She almost didn't see it coming, a slight movement of his left hand which drew her eyes over there, then a lightning fast strike from the sword in his right. With a sense of detachment, she felt her arm rise to meet the blow, then at the last moment, she remembered, and loosened her grip.

The two blades made contact, the keyblade flying back, but Kairi wasn't sent flying back. In fact, just by leaning her body away from the blow, the loosening of her grip allowed the keyblade to recoil into air before it hit her skin on the other side, lessening the force of the blow.

Kurai stopped the attack with carefully controlled force, sheathing his blade in the scabbard that hung at his waist, tucked into the sash that tied his clothes together. "That's the way Kairi. Do that enough and it'll soon become automatic. That way, those Heartless will first have to find a way to break your mental concentration. Speaking of which, I need to train you in that area as well…"

He lapsed into silence, his brow furrowed. Then he looked back up at Kairi. "Well, I suppose that's it for today. Not bad. The first few days are always the hardest. We'll have you brushing aside Heartless like flies in no time."

Suddenly, the sound of a clarion burst through the yard. Kurai's eyes opened wide, then he threw himself at Kairi, knocking her to the ground. She screamed, then suddenly stopped as she felt a dull thump on Kurai's back. Her eyes were closed shut, but she opened them when she felt some liquid on her fingers. To her horror, blood was soaking them, as the man on her bled freely.

"Kurai!" she screamed.

"Relax kid, I've been through worse." His voice scared her. What was he?

Kurai stood up, reaching behind him and pulling out a short throwing spear that was embedded in his back. He looked at it for a second, scoffed, then destroyed it by tightening his fist around it. His wound bled, then stopped and closed over as a white light appeared around it.

Kairi gasped. His eyes were devoid of all the humour that it usually had, and the silver had turned a bright golden colour. The sight of those narrow black irises scared her more than she thought possible: This wasn't the same man who had trained her and helped her, who had probably saved her life by taking the spear in her stead. This was someone to be feared, to be respected, a mighty warrior who could kill her with a look.

A roar from behind him made her glance past his shoulder, and her eyes widened when she saw a horde of Heartless-like creatures, similar to the ones that had been allied with the Heartless and Nobodies in the raid on Radian Garden. The holes in the middle of their chests seemed to mock the fact that they had no hearts, while their leering white masks sneered at them.

"Kairi, get inside. This is going to get messy." Kurai's eyes were fixed on the Heartless-like creatures. "_Now_."

"Kurai, what _are_ they?" she whispered.

"They're called Hollows. They seek out the souls of the dead to feast on. Now _get inside_." His reply was curt, his amber eyes flashing. "Take this with you." He handed her the katana that had been tucked into his sash.

"Wha…? How 'bout you? I wanna fight too!" she answered indignantly, refusing to take it. She gulped when Kurai's golden eyes turned to meet her blue ones, although he didn't say anything. "Alright, alright." She grabbed it, then made a dash for the door.

The screech of one of the Hollows rang through the air, and she felt a shadow being cast over her. Scared, she looked over her shoulder, screaming as one of the ugly creatures came plummeting towards her on out-stretched wings. Suddenly, one of the wings started to drop off, followed immediately by the other. Kairi, glancing back at Kurai, wondered why he was in the exact same position he had been in when he had ordered her to run away. Then she saw a slight flicker in his body.

She thought she was imagining it, but looking closely, she saw that sometimes, all she had to do was blink, and Kurai would disappear and reappear, all in the same moment. Looking at the Hollows that had ambushed them, she saw that they too were stationary, not even moving, blood spurting out of holes that suddenly appeared in their bodies. Hang on… Not moving?

With a sudden gasp, she realized the awesome power of the man who was training her. Looking closely without blinking, she could see a slight silhouette moving between the Hollows and Kurai's body. Something clicked in her mind. This was speed at its highest. Kurai was moving so fast between his current position and the Hollows that his body hadn't even shifted before he was back, therefore there was no need for it to move. His speed was such that the Hollows had no time to react, and their bodies needed time to even register that they were dead.

A slight glint and a shimmering in the air made her narrow her eyes so she could see more clearly in the glare of the sun. Again she was surprised. In Kurai's hand was a magnificent sword, thing and long, slightly shorter than the one she had seen Sephiroth use, but still longer than even Fenrir, Sora's keyblade. It was completely black, including the hilt, which was shaped into a pair of wings. Blood was everywhere, soaking the grass and Kurai's clothes, yet the blade remained oddly free of filth.

Wings? Again the name of this warrior flashed through her mind. Kurai Tenshi. Black Angel.

_Angel_.

'He really _isn't_ human…' was the only thought that remained now. Suddenly more fearful than she had ever felt before in her life, even including when Kurai had took the spear for her, even when she had been taken away, even when Sora had sacrificed himself, becoming a Heartless to save her, even when Axel had taken her to the World That Never Was, she sought to escape.

She turned and ran again, stumbling up the steps and pushing the door open, then turning around and closing it, slumping down into a tired heap once it was closed. Tears rolled down her face, she no longer tried to stop them. Behind the doors, she heard the unearthly screams of the Hollows a Kurai methodically destroyed them.

'Sora, where are you?! Please! Come take me away!'

* * *

As Sora showed Tifa the feather that had been stuck into the ground, she took it eagerly in her hands, inspecting it carefully. After a long while, her face fell. Shaking her head, she handed it back to Sora.

"It's not him. Neither Cloud, nor Sephiroth." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Sora. If it were any of the two, I could track them. But this... Neither Cloud's darkness nor Sephiroth's comes close to matching this one." She shuddered. "It's not that it's evil, it's just… the darkness flowing from it… It's so… complete. So utterly black."

Riku glanced at her, then went over to take the feather from Sora. "It feels… comfortable." He said with a slight smirk. Suddenly his eyes opened wide. "Kairi!" he yelled.

Sora spun around from where he was gazing into the sky where Kairi had disappeared to. "What?! Where?!"

Tifa looked up as well, ready to help Sora and Riku to try and compensate for her own loss. "Where is she? How did you find out?"

"I… I don't know. I just… _felt_ her, if you know what I mean. Kinda like how you can feel Cloud and Sephiroth…" Riku replied.

The sound of footsteps running from behind them prompt a quick morph into Valour form from Sora, and as the two people ran out from behind the corner they had just turned, they almost ran straight into the Oathkeeper, with the Oblivion ready to impale them should they trip.

"Whoa there Sora! Careful with those things!" The voice was familiar, as was the face that grinned up at him from below the white keyblade.

"Yuffie! Why are you here? You were supposed to be about a day's journey from here!" His confusion momentarily made him forgot about Riku's feeling.

Yuffie scoffed, Leon behind her walking straight up to Riku. But it was still Leon who replied. "Don't be stupid. If we were a day's journey behind you, we'd never have been able to come in time should anything happen, as something apparently has." The mercenary turned to Riku. "What is it? Have you found her?"

Riku shook his head, dark eyes downcast. "I don't know exactly where she is. But I get a sort of sense, like she's somewhere. At the very least, I know she's alive!" His eyes lit up for the first time in the past four days, silver depths swirling.

Sora nodded, reverting out of Valour form. "What are we waiting for? Riku, can you track her?"

Riku nodded once, his eyes closed again as he concentrated. "It's faint, but I think I can…" he opened his eyes and glanced up, pointing at the top of the fissure where it levelled out into a plateau that went on as far as the eye could see. "We've got to get up there."

Silver light erupted around them as Sora morphed into Final Form. Yuffie needed no help, ninja speed and skill letting her scale it while doing acrobatics all the way. Leon, being an experienced mercenary, needed even less help then Yuffie, for all that she was faster. Hand over hand, he climbed up the fissure wall, finding hand and footholds in the sheer rock cliff that few others could've found.

Tifa followed in his wake, sometimes punching open new handholds or footholds whenever her progress was halted, making Sora wince. Riku clasped Sora's hand, and with a mighty bound, assisted by the Final Form, they leapt right onto the top of the cliff, where Sora reverted back out of the mighty form. It didn't take that long before Leon leapt up to join them, and by then Riku had already established a route.

"That way. I think that's North." Riku pointed as Leon came up to them. He glanced up at the sky, noting the position of the sun, then down at the shadows their bodies cast, trying to determine their position.

Leon nodded. "I think so too. But it doesn't matter, does it?"

Sora nodded, his face set. "It doesn't matter one bit. S'long as Kairi's there, I don't care which direction is which."

Riku nodded as well, clasping his friend's shoulder. "We'll get her back. For sure."

The small party glanced at each other, nodded once, then set off, their destination marked by Riku, who kept them on the right track. The endless plateau seemed to mock them, throwing up obstacles that would've thrown them off course before long had Riku's connection with the feather not grown stronger the further they walked.

Yuffie's continuous complaints gradually dwindled as they walked, saving her energy for the ponderous task of putting one foot before the other. Riku was growing tired as well, his frequent stops to search for Kairi draining his energy. Tifa was hunched, her long black hair swinging forward to shield her face from the sun. Even Leon, the hardened mercenary, was beginning to show signs of fatigue. Sora was the only one who resembled anything like alert, his eyes scanning the area for signs of ambush. Suddenly he stopped, turning around to face his friends.

"Guys, we can't continue this for much longer. C'mon, gather around." His voice was hoarse, parched from the sun. Too tired to protest or wonder, the party gathered together. Standing in the middle of them Sora summoned Oathkeeper, the silver keyblade sparkling in the sun.

At the last moment, Riku realized what his friend was going to do. "Wait! Sora! Using magic will drain you too!"

However, Sora just smiled and shook his head. "Blizzaga!"

A cold breeze sprang to life around them, the most powerful ice magic Sora knew working on the very atmosphere. Blocks of ice formed around their feet, melting as soon as they touch the ground, but the Blizzaga spell instantly refroze the water that was seeping into the dry earth.

The whole party were feeling the effects, but it was Riku, in his newly refreshed state, that caught the swaying of Sora. With reflexes born of years of fighting Heartless, he managed to catch Sora before he fell to the ground. "Idiot! I told you not to!"

Sora, slipping in and out of consciousness, could barely make out his words, but he managed to respond right before he lapsed into complete darkness.

"I lost Kairi. Not you too."

Riku clenched his fist.

"Idiot."

Suddenly, Leon lifted one arm and pointed, just as Riku used a Hi-Potion on Sora, which revived him somewhat, although he was still unsteady on his feet. "Guys, what's that?"

Riku looked in the direction that Leon was pointing, and saw the castle in the distance just as the feather he had taken to wearing around his neck on a piece of string gave a throb, and starting to glow with an odd purple hue.

"She's there."

Just as he said those words, a massive beam of black light erupted upwards from the centre of the distant dwelling. The wind changed direction, and started to blow from the building towards them. Screams were carried on the wind, still holding the strange resonance that they had heard before only once in their life: In the field around Radiant Garden.

A blast of silver light blew up around them, and Sora stood up a little shakily, the power of Final Form infusing him. Leon drew his gunblade, Lionheart gleaming in the refracting light off the ice blocks. Yuffie's massive Conformer shuriken hummed as it whirled and spun through the air. Tifa pulled on the Premium Heart, her specialized gloves that enabled her to reduce rock to dust in one punch, while Way to the Dawn summoned its own brand of dark light.

Sora raised one hand, the power of Final Form summoning a wind up beneath their feet, lifting them up and sending them flying towards the castle at a speed greater than they could have walked even if they had been fresh.

As they drew outside the walls of the medieval home, they surprised a pack of Nobodies. Yuffie leapt in, the Conformer slicing a graceful yet deadly swathe through the unaware Nobodies before pandemonium erupted. Tifa told the Sora, Riku and Leon to stay back and conserve the strength, then joined in the fray. The two females soon left nothing behind them, grinding the theory that girls can't fight into dust as the Nobodies dissolved into thin air. Finishing off the last one, they turned and slapped each other a high five, before looking at Leon.

He obliged, raising his gunblade into the air. Imbedding all his resolve into it, the blade blossomed from its normal steel-like form into the bright blue moon-light blade, extending the range of the blade by a good metre or two. Stepping forward, Leon effortlessly hefted Lionheart into the air. Glancing at Sora and Riku, who nodded, he brought it crashing down, smashing through the thick stone wall and parting it as though it were made of paper.

Sora and Riku immediately leapt in, keyblades at the ready. But they were met with no resistance, a final shriek greeting their entrance. As the smoke cleared away, Sora's eyes opened wide. In front of him was a man, tall and strong, with a pure black blade in his hand, who was just finishing off the last of the Hollows. But it wasn't the silver hair or the height of the man who made Sora's blood start to boil. It wasn't even the solid onyx blade or the golden eyes. _It was the two black wings that sprouted from his back._

* * *

I kept wondering whether to make it all into one chapter or split it into two. I decided it would work as one chapter, so this is what you see before you. If you pay careful attention to Kurai, you'll notice that I based some of his powers of the infamous Battousai from Rurouni Kenshin. Just in case you think I'm plagarising. " Please review! 


	7. Awakening and Sealing

Sorry it took so long before I updated. I know some of you are used to waiting longer, but I like to get my chapters up as soon as possible. To my reviewers:

bailkatanas: Yup, they're the new threat. Well, they and all the rest. You'll see a lot more than just Hollows now, don't you worry abotu it.  
Shire Folk: Heh, seems like you're pretty happy with the story. Thanks for reviewing. oh, and Cloud has a single black wing in Kingdom Hearts. He doesn't have it in FFVII, and he still doesn't get it in FFVII: AC. And I _did _think of having BlackWarGreymon shouting out Terra Destroyer, but I was at a loss for what Sora would've said. -.-"  
Silent Blade: Yeah, Kenshin's awesome. Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu neh? As for the attacks, the Ougi is Ama Kakeru Ryu no Hirameki. The downwards strike is Ryu Tsui Sen I believe, but it might be Ryu Tso Sen. As for t\the Kenshin-gumi, I might hint at them getting a part in this fic... )  
littlehomiieex3: Thanks for sticking through with me from Chapter 1 along with bailkatanas! This chapter might answer some questions, might not, but it will certainly pose some more. All will be answered (Or at least, almost all... )) by the last chapter. Stay for it!  
Deathrider8826: Thanks for reviewing. Here's the next chapter as promised!

* * *

Kairi's eyes snapped open, red from crying. Behind the door, she had suddenly felt a massive blast of energy. An eruption of black light blasted in through the window, and she flinched from it. True Heart in one hand, the katana Kurai had used in her other, she inched away from the door, fearful of what may lie on the other side. Suddenly, a ray of white and silver threaded in through the black light, followed by grey beams. She knew those hues…

Turning around, she ran at the door, hauling it open and blinking at the clash of light outside. In the centre of the light she could see three figures, all of them familiar.

"Sora! Riku!"

As Leon, Yuffie and Tifa took out the remaining Hollows, Heartless and Nobodies, Sora and Kurai clashed blades. Riku stood apart as usual, but Way to the Dawn kept shimmering into the Soul Eater before transforming back, and it wasn't hard to tell that it was all he could do not to jump in.

Final Form blazed up around Sora as he utilized as much as he could of the Form's power. Oathkeeper and Oblivion spun in a whirlwind as the streaks of energy that had appeared in his battle against BlackWarGreymon appeared, shooting towards Kurai.

Kurai's black wings opened wide, his amber eyes burning with a golden light. The black dragon blade in his hand seemed to glow with a black light, then the mouth of the dragon head opened. The blade twisted in the black glow, contorting and morphing, until what Kurai held wasn't the long thin blade he had been using, but a massive claymore. The battle lust burning inside him, the instigator of his eye colour change, forced all reason away.

Riku spun around, hearing Kairi's voice, leaping effortlessly over the two combatants, he rushed to her side, generating a Dark Shield just as the contact of Sora and Kurai's blades sent a shockwave of energy all around them.

"Fated Circle." Leon spun Lionheart in a circle, the moonsteel blade releasing its own blast of energy around him. Yuffie and Tifa stayed close to him, protected from the shockwave by their proximity to him. The three of them watched the battle with bated breath.

"Who the hell are you?! Why did you take Kairi away?!" Sora shouted as Oblivion was struck back at him by a twist of Kurai's dragon blade, the angel pressing his advantage and only stopped by Oathkeeper swinging in for a strike to his back, which was easily dodged.

Kurai said nothing, his sane mind completely taken over by the dragon that had awakened inside him. His amber eyes scanned Sora's defences, and found one. The huge claymore moved with immense speed for its size, and within seconds Kurai had drew first blood.

Bleeding from a torn shoulder, Sora still managed to control the twin keyblades telepathically. However, the mental energies required to do so were quickly being drained by having to cope with the pain. Slowly, Sora began to falter.

"Dracon Requiem." The first words Kurai had spoken to Sora sounded like a death knell, and the roar of a dragon echoed around them. Kairi and Yuffie clapped their hands to their ears, and even Leon seemed a little strained by the sound. Black feathers flew everywhere in the wind that was thrown up, yet Kurai's wings seemed untouched. Leon caught one feather, than immediately let go of it, blood staining his glove.

"Sharp… feathers?" his eyes opened wide. The feathers started to fly around Kurai, spinning around Sora. Another sound threaded in through the silence after the dragon's roar faded, a faceless tune that was both eerie and comforting at the same time. Sora, trying to fight back the pain of his shoulder, felt himself drawn to the sound, his eyes starting to close. His shoulders slumped, and the two keyblades hung motionless in mid-air next to him.

The humming rose and fell in a sweet rhythm, a dirge for the dead and the dying. Kurai's eyes were fixed on Sora, as were the eyes of everyone else. A sudden shriek echoing through the silent plateau sent Leon keeping onto the battlements, and what he saw astounded him.

A mass of bodies lay on the sand outside, the dancing feathers slicing through the air in a deadly dance. Heartless, Nobodies and Hollows that had come when they were all inside the castle were lying in a heap of dead bodies, and still the feathers danced.

"Wha- What _is_ he?"

As Leon watched, he was joined by Tifa and Yuffie, who gasped at the sight. Riku generated a dark platform in mid-air, leaping onto it with Kairi and joining them on the wall. He kept a wary eye on Kurai, but the angel kept his eyes fixed firmly on Sora. The feathers came closer and closer to Sora, and Riku summoned a Dark Shield around him. To his surprise, horror and fear, the shield collapsed as soon as a feather touched it, no matter how many times he tried.

"Riku, save your energy. Let's go." Leon held Riku's shoulder firmly, Lionheart almost invisible in the still bright sunlight that came pouring down. "We're going in."

Riku nodded. Together with Leon, the two warriors leapt into the fight, striking at the feathers with their weapons. As each feather came to close to Sora, they would leap in, either the onyx blade of Way to the Dawn or the moonsteel blade of Lionheart. While Yuffie kept a lookout for approaching enemies, Tifa stood in front of Kairi, not allowing to let her go closer to the fighters.

"Please Tifa! Let me go to them! I can talk some sense into Kurai, I can stop this!" Kairi pleaded with her friend.

But the raven-haired martial artist refused to be swayed. "The whole reason Sora and Riku came this far was to look for you. If you were to get injured, I'm responsible. And I _won't_ be. Kairi, just stay here. They'll be able to defeat this guy and get you home."

"But Kurai didn't kidnap me! All he wanted to do was train me so I could fight with Sora!" Kairi was nearly frantic, small gashes and cuts were already appearing on Sora's body, the majestic clothing of Final Form soaked with blood.

"Couldn't he have at least asked nicely? And why train you all alone away from us? Why not just come to Radiant Garden and help you?"

"Radiant Garden was under attack! You know those Heartless with masks? They're called Hollows, and they eat souls!" She clenched her fist and looked down. "I couldn't fight at all; I would've been killed if I had been there…"

Tifa glanced sharply at the Princess. "How did you know about the attack? You weren't even there!" A thought occurred to her. "This Kurai, did he organise it?!"

Kairi shook her head vehemently. "No! He wanted to help! He knows the previous Wielder of Love!"

Tifa shook her head wearily, in stark contrast to Kairi's fury. "I don't trust him, Kairi. Did you see all that darkness around him? Just one of his feathers was enough to nearly make me black out. As for knowing the previous Wielder of Love, he _says_ he does. How do you know he really does?"

"Then what about Riku? He's of the darkness as well!" Kairi was sure she had found a niche in Tifa's defence.

"Riku wields both darkness and light; this guy is formed out of pure darkness." Kairi's face fell, she hadn't considered that before.

"Just trust him for once, Tifa, please!" Kairi pleaded.

"How can I trust him… look what he's doing…" Tifa's voice trailed off. Kairi spun around and gasped.

Black flames had sprouted from the very ground, blazing hellfire pyres that formed a circle around Kurai. Suddenly, and to the surprise of everyone around, the flames spread across the ground, forming into the shape of a heart.

Riku shook his head. "It's not… possible… Not you… Not Roxas…" his eyes were wide open, the Way to the Dawn shimmering between one plane to another in his insecurity. The heart was an exact replica of the one that had appeared when he had fought Roxas in The World That Never Was, Sora's Nobody wielding Oathkeeper and Oblivion, he wielding the Soul Eater.

Suddenly, they all heard a scream. It seemed to come from Kurai, but his mouth wasn't moving. But the minute the scream came, the low haunting music that had held Sora entranced stopped, and they heard a voice.

"Get outta my head! Vanish!" The voice was familiar to Kairi.

Kurai leapt back, away from Riku, Sora and Leon, Sora now moving again, although each move brought agony from the minute cuts on his body. The feathers surrounding them suddenly stopped moving, speeding away into the sky and exploding into dark flames. The dragon blade in Kurai's hand wavered again, transforming back into the long thin blade that it had been previously. Lifting it high, he plunged it deep into the ground.

"VANISH!"

To their amazement, a roar came again, the roar of a dragon. Sora was reminded of Maleficent, and how she could transform into a dragon. He lifted Oathkeeper, ready to deal the final blow while Kurai was occupied, but Kairi ran at him, stopping his hand. "Sora! Don't!"

"Ka- Kairi?!" Sora was shocked at her sudden defence of the man who had taken her away. "Kairi, whadaya doing? Let go! He took you away!" His silver eyes were narrowed as he glared at her, her blue eyes almost melting him inside.

"He was going to train me! He was going to make sure that I could fight with you, side by side!" Tears were coming from her eyes now, streaming down her face, and she slowly slid to the ground, still clutching Sora's arm. "Please, Sora, don't…"

"She's right, y'know."

Way to the Dawn, Oathkeeper, Oblivion, Lionheart, Conformer and Premium Heart flashed in the sunlight, all aimed at Kurai's throat. The tall man stood up, his black wings disappearing with a flash. In the air, a single feather hovered, which he took in his hand without difficulty. Leon's eyes bore into the angel; touching it previously had cut his hand wide open, and it was now throbbing so much that he was holding Lionheart with one hand only. The black blade was nowhere to be seen. His eyes, which had been bright gold, were now a brilliant silver, with a hint of black deep inside the pupils.

"Yo, you there, Yuffie was it? Duck."

"Huh?" Yuffie cocked her head to one side, then ducked as Kurai threw the feather at her. "HEY!"

A sudden sharp intake of breath behind her made her spin around, and she was looking at the blade of a Samurai Heartless, poised to stab straight through her. A single black feather protruded from its neck.

"What the…? Oh… um… thanks…" she stammered as Kurai broke out into a laugh.

"What're you laughing about?! We haven't settled this yet!" Sora yelled as he threw Oathkeeper at Kurai's open chest.

"Sora! No!" shouted Kairi, but it was too late. The silver keyblade gleamed as it flew through the air, the sparkling blade a stark contrast to the destruction it could create.

But to everyone's surprise, Kurai chuckled. Casually, he knocked the keyblade to one side, then picked it up by the blade. He pressed his skin hard against the edge of the keyblade, then threw it back at Sora gently, where it hovered behind him. His skin remained unmarked.

Grinning at everyone's astonishment, he sat down on the stone steps leading inside the castle.

"Heh, seems like I've got a lot of explaining to do, eh?" he asked.

Sora stepped forward, eyes still glaring at Kurai as he reverted back into his normal form. "Yeah, you've got a _lot _of explaining to do."

* * *

Well, what do you think? Shorter than the previous chapters, but still, it gets the point across, I hope... Anyways, review! 


	8. A Past of Blood

Right, I'm _soooo_ sorry for the late update. I was knocked off my block with schoolwork, homework (What _is_ the difference anyways?), a fanfic contest and real life in general. No, I haven't gone and died yet, although I just might if I don't update within a year, but yeah... sorry! To make up for it, this chapter's a nice long one!

To my reviewers  
Cori Rain: Yeah, it has changed a bit. I'm making this up as I go along, so yeah, I'd be surprised if it didn't. xD  
Shire Folk: Explaining is the least of it. The shadowy Kurai's gonna have a long part to play in this tale.  
Silent Blade: Does it now? o0 Strange, considering I've never played it... Ah well.  
bailkatanas: Like I said to Shire Folk, explaining's the least of it. This and the next chapter should hopefully answer some questions.  
Deathrider8826: You're right, this chapter does explain a lot. Hope this clears up some of your ideas, theories and wahtever. xD  
littlehomiieex3: Some questions? Possibly... But the rest? Maybe here and maybe later.

With no more delay, on with the story!

* * *

"Ruin! Where are you?!" 

Kurai was seething, the Trust keyblade in his hand lighting up the area with a dull grey glow. Next to him, the man wielding a long silver keyblade with a single meteor embossed on the blade glanced at him, a warning shot from cerulean eyes.

"Calm down, Kurai. Whoever took her isn't too far away. Let them know we're here, and they might kill her."

Kurai slashed straight downwards with Trust, ripping a single fine line through the ground. He raised his keyblade again, then stopped and took a deep breath, slowly lowering it again. His eyes hovered between gold and silver for a moment, but as the man stepped forward and gripped his arm reassuringly, he closed them, before opening them again, almost glowing silver in the twilight.

"Careful, Kurai. We haven't gotten the dragon out of you yet. If you don't control yourself and it gets loose, then Ruin's as good as dead." The other man released Kurai's shoulder, then swung his arm in an arc before him. The trail left behind by his hand glowed golden, and a single keyblade formed, matching the meteor-embossed keyblade in his left hand.

Kurai nodded, once. "Right, Kirin. What do we do now?" He gestured around the shallow valley they were currently in.

The man called Kirin raised the gold keyblade, pointing at the distant castle outlined in the sun's dying rays. The light glinted off his armour, golden and silver in equal measure. His helmet, which obscured his features, hid his blue eyes and brown hair. A red cape billowed out behind him, mingling with the late dew.

"We rush them. Get ready; we won't be able to summon anything once inside there. Get everything you want out of the rift before we attack." Aqua eyes narrowed behind the black visor as he noted the position of the guards, the patrols, and the vigilance of the men.

Kurai nodded. He slashed Trust through the air, and a single rip in the dimensional fabric opened, into an alternate dimension where there was nothing. An empty void, that was all it led to. But that empty void was a useful place for the three Wielders to hold their blades, and it also held all the keyblades from the past, present and future; it was where all keyblades originated. But the three current Wielders found it pretty handy to hold the rest of their gear as well, once they found a way to mentally control the rift.

Reaching through the rift, Kurai pulled out a long thin blade, black with the head of a dragon as the crossguard. The dragon's mouth was currently closed, but it would roar at Kurai's command, unleashing the potential destruction of the dragon.

Shifting Trust to his left hand, Kurai swung the black blade through the air, opening another rift. This one was special to Kurai, and he was the only one who could open it among the Wielders: The Rift of the Heartless.

The minute it opened, Heartless tried to cram in through the small opening. Trust flickered in a silver blur, keeping them at bay while the few unlucky ones to get through were destroyed by Kirin's gold keyblade. Kurai reached in among the Heartless, searching for the artefact he wanted, lazily slaying any Heartless who came too close.

"There we go…" His hand closed around a small round object, pulsing with a dull green glow. All the Heartless seemed to be afraid of it, shying away from it whenever Kurai moved it. The minute his hand closed around it, the Heartless fled.

Pulling it out, Kurai waved his hand, dispelling the rift. He stuck the object into his cloak, which he preferred the wear instead of his armour, then sighed and waved his hand again, opening the Key Rift and summoning his armour, which morphed onto him as though it were liquid.

"I suppose we better get Ruin's too?" he asked, his hand now holding the black blade that had been floating in the air while he took the round object from the Heartless Rift.

Kirin shrugged. "It's up to you. Once we're in there and when we get Ruin, I don't think she'll be in any condition to fight. The armour might be light, but it restricts her motion. On the other hand, it could well protect her while we get her to safety."

Kurai sighed again. Pulling on his crested helmet, hiding his identity, he gazed at the castle, waiting for the last shreds of daylight to pass. "Nah, I'll pass. We'll just have to protect her 360, that's all."

Kirin nodded, but said nothing. His hand tightened around his keyblade. Two figures materialized behind him, one a beautiful woman with floor length blonde hair, the other a massive silver wolf that was almost as tall as him while on all fours.

"Kirin, are you sure about this?" asked the woman. Her white gown blew around in the dusk wind, her hair following it in a golden trail. The wolf laughed, its voice a low husky growl. "Of course he's sure, Lorenze. This is Ruin we're talking about. No price is too great."

"What would _you_ know about that, Metor? Lives are at stake here. Every second another Heartless is formed. If the Wielders do not keep the balance…" She didn't finish her sentence, trailing off into silence as her brow furrowed.

"There is no more time to worry about trivial matters. The sun sets."

The new voice belonged to a tall figure that stood behind Kurai. Six white wings were spread wide, glowing faintly white in the dark that was now befalling the gully they were in.

"Trust, nice of you to join us." The silver wolf turned to the seraph that had appeared. "It seems like their minds are already made up. As their keyblades, we shouldn't hinder them, just help them." He turned back to the woman. "Lorenze, the sooner we get through with this, the sooner we can go back to killing Heartless. Anyway, don't you miss Astaldo?"

The woman, Lorenze, sighed. "Well, the sooner we get through with this, the better. Let's go, Kirin." She melted away, a golden glow infusing the gold keyblade in Kirin's right hand.

The wolf snickered, then glanced at Trust. "Make sure your companion doesn't try and interfere. It would be disastrous if he should get loose while in there. He could possible kill Ruin too." His silver eyes gazed at the angel for a while longer, than moved to rest on the armoured figure standing just before the seraph. "Kurai, you know that Kirin would be forced to kill you should the dragon get loose?"

Kurai gave an almost imperceptible nod. Metor returned it, then melted into the silver keyblade in Kirin's left hand. Trust gripped Kurai's shoulder once, firmly and reassuringly, then disappeared as well, the grey keyblade shining brightly, then dimming.

Kurai glanced at Kirin, who had stood immobile during the whole conversation. At that moment, the sun disappeared, the blood rays fading. The two Wielders disappeared in a blur of motion.

* * *

Ruin sat immobile, her eyes closed. Her brown hair shifted slightly in the wind that blew in from the small window in the top of her cell, but she didn't shiver despite being clad in nothing but a thin white shift. Her chest moved, which proved she was alive, but faintly. To anyone watching, it would've seemed as though she hovered between life and death. 

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the window, coloured wind. Rays of gold and silver shone in through the gap, and then a single blast of pure black.

Ruin opened her eyes, hazel eyes sharp and narrowed. She stood up, walking over so she stood directly under the window. Placing her head against the stone, she took a deep breath, and listened.

Screams of pain could be heard even through the thick stone, and Ruin stood back, nodding. 'Thank you, Kirin, Kurai…'

'_You came…_'

* * *

Kurai whirled around, Trust ripping one of the guards in two. The black dragon blade, Betrayal, snaked through the defence of another, piercing his throat. Blood spurted from the wounds, as both men died with screams of pain. 'Ruin, sorry we took so long. We're here now, we won't let anything happen to you. Ruin…' 

Kirin was a tornado of gold and silver, Lorenze and Metor proving an invincible combination, as they had since Kirin had first been announced Wielder of Light. Death came to anyone who came within range, but even staying out of the way was a chore in itself; Kirin's speed was second only to Kurai of all in the yard, and nowhere was safe. 'Ruin, stay safe, alright? Once we take care of these guys, we're going in, me and Kurai. We're coming to get you. Hang on!'

As they fought, Kurai felt an odd sense of detachment, and seemed to be watching his body from a distance, while his body killed all the guards fluidly. His sense of being, he hesitated to call it a spirit, watched as images floated past his eyes.

_

* * *

__A young trio ran along the beaches of Destiny Island. One was tall, almost a head taller than the other two, yet was around the same age, a testimony to the giant he would one day become. The other young boy ran in circles around the girl, both of them wet and laughing in the sand. The tall boy was lying at the edge of the water, grinning at the antics of his friends._

'Yes…' Kurai thought. That was ancient history, a time when the three Wielders were young and carefree, not knowing how their lives would turn out. The images flew again, and another set of scenes were shown.

_The same trio were present here again, but they were older, more mature. The tall teen __was standing with his arm around the shoulders of the girl, whose long brown hair fluttered in the wind. The other teen, who was standing slightly apart from the two of them, was making throwing up faces at the two of them as they laughed, yet his eyes never strayed far from the girl's. _

'Heh… So he was already hot for her back then… I never knew… Kirin… I'm sorry… But then… it makes you selfish, don't it?' Kurai's eyes were misted over, relieving memories long gone.

_A tall man, dre__ssed in a black cloak, approached the three teens. The tall teen standing in front of the other two had a long stick in his hand, as did the teen protecting the girl, but the approaching stranger had a long black blade, solid black with the head of a dragon as the crossguard. As the three of them warily stepped back, the man stopped walking. Without saying a word, he raised the long black blade. The teen in the back suddenly leapt forward, his stick flashing out in imitation of the crippling strikes the tall teen had always managed to inflict on him. But at the last second, the tall teen pushed him away, standing in his place as the black blade came flashing down. _

'The dragon… The day the dragon came… Heh… damn that Kirin. Idiot. He didn't have to come jumping in like that. I never did know what happened to the Dragonlord after that… No… I _am_ the Dragonlord…'

_The first day of the dragon's wrath. Silver eyes giving way to amber rage, the tall teen slammed his fist into the solid packed sand of Destiny Islands, sending an explosion up that showered all those nearby with sand. The instigator of his wrath, the little boy cowering with his back against the wall, __had tears streaming down his eyes. The cold ice cream, dislodged from the cone that rested in the boy's hands, slid through the tall teen slippered feet. The teen's wrath disappeared as quickly as it had come, and silver orbs gazed out from what used to be gold. Mortified, he turned and ran._

'Sorry, Jin. That wasn't me… Did you know? Did you look into my eyes to see the dragon within? That rage… That anger… That wrath… That wasn't me…'

_The tall teen stood alone, gazing out at the sea. All alone. But behind him, out of sight, the other teen and the girl stood, watching him from afar. _

'Alone? No… never alone… Kirin… Ruin… thank you…'

_Black beings, running through the sand. Amorphous creatures, pure darkness, Heartless. Running through the home of the teens, defiling. A nameless call, a tuneless music, calling__ the three who would be the Wielders of Light, Love and Dawn. Three blades floating in mid-air, glowing with a bright light. The Heartless shied away from them, yet were drawn to them. That which was darkness cannot be without light; that which is light cannot be without darkness. _

'Heartless. The bastards. The day the keyblades came. I actually still haven't found out… why me? Why a Dragonlord? Surely the two forces will come into conflict? I haven't found out the answer yet. Bloody keyblades. Won't say nothing.'

_Adventures through the worlds, the discovery of so many world__s, of new powers and new threats. Love and anger, peace and war, many traits were found, and the three teens, now grown to men and woman, found an internal harmony amongst themselves. The woman found herself drifting from man to man. At first, it was the tall man. But then… the other was… But no… the first…_

'It was hard, wasn't it, Ruin? It would've been as hard for you to choose him as it was for me to let you go… Heh. I don't regret it one bit though. S'long as everyone's happy; I can take a bit of suffering. Nothing new.'

_Mastering of the rifts, discovery of the ancient pathways between the worlds. The young man with brown hair and blue eyes sat alone in meditation, lost in a time and world of his own. The young woman sat outside the room he was in, watching the door nervously and fearfully. The tall man was out, wrecking havoc upon the Heartless that still threatened to disrupt the harmony of their lives. The young man's eyes snapped open, blue intermingling with a strange light that both had colour and none. __A raised hand, and a rip formed. Eyes still glazed, the young man reached inside, and pulled a golden keyblade from within. As soon as it was completely out, the rip mended. _

'The discovery of the rifts. Good old Kirin, kept believing in that drivel. If it was me, I would've given up years ago. Smart-arse kept right on trying. Shows what Ruin saw in you, don't it?'

_Ages ago in mind, yet mere hours in time. A young woman walking along the banks of Destiny Island, resting after a hard life, unarmed, unarmoured. A shadow reared up behind her, snatching her, bringing her away. Her screams carried along the darkness long after she had gone, but her fire remains. The two young men came running, armour morphing out of nowhere to rest on them, keyblades flashing in the dwindling twilight. On seeing a scrap of her dress left on the sand, the tall man went berserk. Black fire erupted from the very ground, and silver eyes took on the amber hue of rage. The black blade appeared again, after years of having no Master. The Dragonlord swore an oath with the Wielder of Light, to retrieve their friend, and their lover. _

'I wonder… was I overreacting? Maybe… and maybe not. How many people would've been able to keep the dragon under control? In that moment of despair and rage, how many can keep their sanity, and not destroy their home? Heh… I wonder…'

* * *

The images slowly faded out, and Kurai was again in his body, keyblade ripping through the woodwork of the heavy doors to the dungeon. Betrayal flashed again in his hand, eager to draw blood, and Kurai pulled Trust back, one blow from the mighty dragon blade wrecking the door. 

Kirin was with him in an instant, the remnants of a Blizzaga spell still in the air. Frozen bodies and weapons littered the courtyard as the two Wielders entered the dungeon.

"Ruin!" they called as they ran. Guards appeared, only to be cut down. Blaze after blaze ran along the ground in their wake, their frantic searches revealing nothing. "Ruin!"

Finally, Kirin called. "Kurai! Come here!"

Running over, Kurai was shocked to find his friend kneeling on the ground, his hands opened. Keyblades stuck on either side of him, his hands starting moving in a complex dance.

"Ki-Kirin! Don't!" Kurai rushed over, but an invisible field prevented him from entering.

Kirin glanced over, catching his friend's eye through the visors of their helmets. "Don't worry. I've been practising. It won't turn out as badly as last time."

Kurai backed off, although he was far from satisfied. His skill with the blade was unmatched among the three, but although Ruin was the best mage, Kurai was the worst, and even Kirin can spin a defensive shield he couldn't breach, short of unleashing the dragon or in dire need.

"_Four winds blow while the sun and moon watch. Over the seas and the mountains, come to me, Guardian of the Four Souls, Lost Seraph!_"

With a low hum, a glyph formed under Kirin, and a brisk breeze blew. Out of nowhere, the outline of a tall humanoid figure was traced in mid-air, above and slightly ahead of Kirin. The green outline pulsed once, twice, then filled up with the same luminescent green material that had created the outline in the first place. When it was completely filled up, all movement of the amorphous liquid-like jelly stopped. A pause, then a foot stepped out of it, followed by the body of an angel.

"Who summons me?" The voice was low and deep, yet held the promise of pure undiluted power, and the very air around the angel seemed to sparkle with discharging green bolts.

Kirin, still on the ground, raised his head. Reaching up, he pulled off his helmet, allowing his face to be seen. "I, the Wielder of Light, summon you."

"What dost thou wish of me?" asked the angel. His own helmeted face was hidden from view.

"A spell of finding, a spell of searching. A spell of breaking, a spell of freeing." Kirin's blue eyes burned into the hidden ones of the angel.

The angel nodded, once. "And the price?"

Kirin stood up slowly, his arm slashing out to the side. He turned to Kurai and nodded. Kurai nodded back at him, and mirrored Kirin's movement. Two rifts formed, one leading to the other. Reaching inside his armour, Kurai pulled out the round object he had taken from the Heartless Rift, which was now pulsing with a soft green light. Reaching through the rift, he waited.

Kirin, inside the dome, reached into his own rift, and their hands met. A quick clasp of hands, then Kirin withdrew his hand, the object now glowing brightly. Kurai withdrew his own hand, his unseen face contorted with worry. They were taking too much time. Any moment now the guards would come… Betrayal shifted slightly in his hand.

Kirin handed the object to the angel, who recoiled just a very little slightly. "The price, a precious jewel, as agreed."

"Where hast thou come across this?" The angel's voice held a tint of awe, as well as a slight bit of fear. "The jewel of the green seas and the evening… Aduial…"

Kirin shook his head. "An explanation is not needed. Do we have a bargain?"

"Very… well…" The angel seemed to lose his composure for second, regaining it a split second later. "A spell of finding and freeing? Who shall you seek and free?"

"A woman by the name of Ruin. Ruin Antham." Kirin glanced at Kurai in a quick side glance, before looking away.

The angel raised a hand, and a pulse of green energy burst out around him. "A spell of concealment hides her. You are standing in her cell. The first spell is completed. The second shall commence."

Kurai's eyes widened as the sound of footsteps echoed in the passageway behind them. A quick shared glance with Kirin, and he disappeared, inhuman speed carrying him away from his friends. Trust and Betrayal flickered out in a white and black blur, and the screams of the dying echoed off the walls again.

* * *

Ruin stood back from the walls. She felt as though Kirin was just beside her, yet she couldn't see him. Kurai as well, but her heart fell as she felt her presence dim. Suddenly, a green light washed over her cell. She gasped as it slowly melted away, the walls disappearing. 

"Wha…?"

* * *

Kirin took an involuntary step back as the green light washed over the room. It seemed to flake away in small pieces, revealing a small cell. However, even as the cell formed before his eyes, it too began to disintegrate, the very stone cracking and fading away back into the room that they had been standing in earlier. Only this time the demure figure of a young woman clad in nothing but a light shift stood in the middle of the room. 

"Ruin!"

"Ki-Kirin!"

The young woman ran over to Kirin, hugging him tightly. But then her strength failed and she slipped to the ground, her eyes closed, breathing heavily.

Immediately, Kirin knelt down beside her, reaching inside his armour and pulling out a small flask of a pale green liquid. "Here, drink it."

Ruin nodded, taking a small sip. Her cheeks were flushed… Kirin noticed. His fist clenched. 'Kurai… give them hell.'

* * *

Down in the courtyard, Kurai was giving them exactly that. He had given some rein to the dragon, enough so he could still control it, but so that the destruction of the dragon would be given room to vent. Betrayal's crossguard, the dragon head, had opened its mouth, the eyes of the dragon glowing bright gold in the dark of the night. His own eyes glowed gold, and his lips were bared in an inhuman snarl as blood stained the night crimson. 

Suddenly, a scream pierced the night. Kurai glanced in the direction of the scream, randomly disappearing and reappearing as his speed made him flash in and out of visibility. Leaping up the stairs, he smashed down the door he had closed to bar entry to the chamber.

The sight that met him horrified him. Kirin was lying on the grond in a pool of blood, the angel standing over him, a green aura all around them. Ruin was kneeling next to Kirin, shaking him and frantically calling out his name. Facing them was a tall being, made entirely out of blood. The liquid entity was laughing, Kirin's blood soaking through the floor and being absorbed by him.

"Lost Seraph! It has been a while!" cackled the blood being. Its voice was high pitched, carrying an undertone of menace.

"Grond." The angel's single word was clipped with silent fury and hatred. "I had thought thee dead."

"Dead?! Ha! I can't be killed that easily, Raphy!" The figure laughed mockingly.

The angel's eyes flashed. "Art thou to flee again?" This time he was mocking him in return, and the blood being's laughing ceased abruptly. Its crimson eyes narrowed.

"Flee? Heh, that was a misunderstanding. Flee indeed. As if I would flee from a little angel…" he fluttered his hands, mocking the angel further.

But Lost Seraph didn't rise to the bait. "I remember, foul Grond. Centuries ago, amidst the lost sands of time. Thou and I fought, and thee ran."

"A ONE-OFF!" screamed Grond. "IT WAS A FUCKING ONE-OFF!"

Lost Seraph raised his hand, a single ball of green energy forming within it. Swinging his hand down, a long spear formed. "Valesti…" he muttered.

Grond flung his hands out to the sides, blood pooling in mid-air before them. "Die!"

The two entities face off with each other, a showdown after centuries of feuding.

* * *

Sorry 'bout the swearing in that last part. But as you can probably tell, it suits him. Hope you guys enjoyed this, I'm sorry again for the late update, and review! 


	9. The Dragon Roars

Well, here's the next Chapter! I have absolutely no idea how many chapters this is going to run for, nine already and they haven't even gone to the first world I've planned for them, and I have six! Ah well, s'long as you guys enjoy it!

To my reviewers  
littlehomiieex3: Nice to hear it has answered some of your questions. But what about the questions it raised?  
bailkatanas: Thanks for that. This chapter should do the same. xD  
Shire Folk: Yes, this about the past. I didn't feel like giving another five chapters about the past, so I squeezed it into one chapter. But now that I've had that idea, I'm thinking of writing another fic, where Kurai, Kirin and Ruin are the Wielders. xD That can wait though. As for the names, I either made them up as I wrote, or I went to a certain site. Most of those names are actually elvish, which you should more or less know about. I didn't spend more than two minutes on any of them.  
BlackChaos105: Thanks for the compliments! Yes, yes, I'm interested to see how the story turns out too. I'm making it up as I go along, so not even I know how it's going to turn out. " As for your questions, keep reading, and all will be revealed. If my sub-consciousness wants it to be. xD  
SilentBlade: Thanks! Here's the next chappie!

* * *

A standoff. Blood dripped from every corner of the room, and a green aura suffused it. At one end stood the angel, the Valesti spear glowing in his hand. At the other end stood the blood entity, blood from the room slowly being drawn towards him. 

Ruin watched the battle with horrified eyes; Kirin lay motionless in her arms, breathing painfully. Kurai had returned outside, venting his frustration on the flood guards who had started to thin down by now, fear of the tall man's fearful skill with the blade overriding the promise of gold and treasures.

"Hahahahaha! You've improved, Raphy! You wouldn't have lasted this long when we last fought!" Grond was cackling as a ball of blood formed in his upraised palm.

The Valesti spear whirled in a green arc, and Lost Seraph planted it firmly into the floor of the room. Green energy pulsed from it, and the two battlers started to phase out of sight.

"Wait!" Ruin shouted. "Where are you going?!"

Lost Seraph looked over his shoulder. "We are going where we cannot harm the material plane. Thou wouldst do best to stay where thou art."

"Hey! Never look away from your opponent!"

A spear made entirely out of blood came hurtling out of mid-air, aiming for Lost Seraph's head. Valesti flew upwards, smashing into the spear. At the exact moment of contact, the spear deconstructed, the blood becoming liquid once more. Valesti nevertheless continued its rapid motion, Lost Seraph spinning around and firing a blast of green energy at his foe. Grond easily deflected it, the blast smashing into the walls and exploding. Rubble fell from the point of explosion.

Turning back to Ruin, Lost Seraph was satisfied at the light of understanding in her eyes. He then turned his eyes to the window, where the screams of the dying still drifted in. Raising his hand calmly, he deflected another barrage of blood with a green aura.

"Thy friend… he hath an illness within, hast he not?" he asked. Ruin gasped.

"Ye-Yes… but how do you know? How _did_ you know?" she replied his question with her own.

"A blemish of the soul would show clearly to my eyes. As the Searcher, I must have the capability to see within instead of on the skin." His helmeted head turned back to face Grond, who was seething at the thought that all his attacks had been effortlessly repelled by the angel when he hadn't even been paying attention. "And now I must leave, and I will take this repulsive one with me. Fare thee well."

That did it. Grond screamed in fury, the blood from the dead rising into the air and hurtling towards the angel. Outside in the yard, Betrayal was wiped clean, the black dragon blade's blood being drawn to the blood elemental.

"DIE, DIE, DIE!" he threw blast after blast of blood at the angel, ignoring the fact that his body was continuing to fade away, as was the angel's. Turning hate-filled eyes onto the Wielder of Love, a sneer came on his face. A long blade of blood formed in his hands as he faked a throw at the angel, but released his grip late, sending the spear flying at Ruin.

Ruin was petrified at the spear coming at her. As Lost Seraph spun around, Valesti swinging outwards, she knew that there was nothing she could do. Her imprisonment in a cell of stone that sapped her strength had made her unable to open a rift to summon her equipment, and Valesti's range wasn't long enough to reach her. She started to mouth the incantation of an Aeroga spell, but even as the words left her mouth the decision was taken out of her hands. Kirin jerked in her arms, Lorenze flying out in a golden blur. Metor followed shortly after, the twin gold and silver keyblades whirling through the air.

It was either the pain that caused the lack of co-ordination, or maybe it was the fear; the fear of losing her. The twin keyblades smote the air just to the left of the spear, missing it by mere millimetres. It took Kirin full on in the chest, smashing outwards through the armour of the Wielder of Light, exiting through the other side, before exploding in a crimson fountain.

* * *

"KIRIN!"

A blast of solid black light erupted in the courtyard, and the screams of terrified men echoed through the air as the screams changed from fear to pain, to a horrifying gurgling sound as though they were choking on their own blood. The roar of a dragon came pummelling through the stone, and the whole wall that overlooked the courtyard was torn off as Betrayal came howling down in an arc of fury.

Standing on the other side was Kurai, his eyes glowing a fierce gold. From his back two wings spread, scaled like those of a dragon, unlike the feathered ones of Lost Seraph. He tilted his head back and screamed, but above the human scream was the roar of the dragon. Trust disappeared, the spirit of the keyblade materializing behind Kurai. His silver eyes flashed across to Ruin, and she understood. She too had felt the gut-wrenching pain that had wrecked her whole body when the spear had passed through Kirin. The Wielder of Light had fallen. And with him, Kurai had lost a big part of himself, enough to make him lose control.

The Dragonlord had gone berserk.

Ruin backed off, dragging the body of Kirin with her. Lost Seraph nodded once as he saw the fury, which confirmed his own suspicions. He glanced over at Ruin, then he simply faded out of existence, into another plane where he could watch without being involved.

Grond was backing away, the blood elemental's crimson eyes showing fear for the first time. The black dragon blade of legends was warping and contorting, but always returning to the same long thin blade it normally was. An immense aura was forming around it, as well as Kurai himself, as he started walking slowly forward.

* * *

Kirin's eyes snapped open, clear azure blue distorted by fear and pain. His chest hurt… Putting a hand to his chest, he was startled to find a hole right through it, skewering his stomach and puncturing a lung, as well as blocking off a heart chamber.

"So thou art awakened."

Wincing in pain, the young man forced his head upwards, and looked into the green eyes of the Lost Seraph. The angel still hadn't removed his helmet, but somehow the metal had lightened to an almost translucent shade, allowing Kirin to see straight through it.

Struggling to a sitting position, he glanced around, only to see nothing, just an empty plain. What's more, there was no sky, just a black void, and there was a strange wind that blew through the short grass, one that made Kirin feel both cold and warm at the same time.

"Why… am I here?" he asked. Suddenly, his eyes widened in remembrance. "Ruin!"

Lost Seraph shook his head, smiling slightly for the first time he had seen. "Nay, she is unharmed." The smile faded. "As for thy other…"

Kirin's eyes narrowed. "_What_ about Kurai?"

"It will be better to see with thine eyes then for me to tell." The angel's reply was short, and he waved his arm. Immediately, the plain started to shimmer, and they found themselves looking down at the castle in which Ruin had been held imprisoned not so long ago. Kirin gasped.

Black flames were pouring out everywhere, and black light shone from a blacked-out sun. The whole wall that separated the room they had been in from the courtyard had been torn down, and black flames danced out in the yard as well. Amidst the darkness stood a person, one that used to be familiar to Kirin. "Ku-Kurai…?" he murmured.

"Aye and nay. He cannot hear us whilst we are on this plane, and he cannot see us. The dragon within thy friend hath awakened, and its fury is but starting." The seraph's face revealed nothing, but inside his eyes something flickered.

Kirin's sharp eyes caught it, and he started to ask a question, but was cut off by the angel before he could even start.

"Thy friend. He is in mortal peril."

"Wh-What? What do you mean?" Kirin was confused by Lost Seraph's words.

Something akin to pain and fear flashed through the green eyes of the angel, but he remained silent. It frightened Kirin. If someone as powerful of the Lost Seraph was afraid, then what could it be? Suddenly, something struck him. The pain had disappeared. Looking down at his chest, he found that the gaping hole had gone.

"What happened…? Why am I…" He gazed around him. "Where is this place anyway?"

"Kirin Senshi." The Lost Seraph turned to him.

"Huh…?" Kirin's mouth fell open in surprise. "Ho-How did you… How did you know my name?"

Another twinge of pain crossed the angel's eyes. "Dost thou remember the man who came to thy abode years ago? The black dragon blade?" Kirin took a step back as his eyes opened wide. How could he forget?

_A tall man, dressed in a black cloak, approached the three teens. The tall teen standing in front of the other two had a long stick in his hand, as did the teen protecting the girl, but the approaching stranger had a long black blade, solid black with the head of a dragon as the crossguard. As the three of them warily stepped back, the man stopped walking. Without saying a word, he raised the long black blade. The teen in the back suddenly leapt forward, his stick flashing out in imitation of the crippling strikes the tall teen had always managed to inflict on him. But at the last second, the tall teen pushed him away, standing in his place as the black blade came flashing down. _

"You…!" Kirin's eyes flashed dangerously.

"The angel nodded, true regret plastered across his face. "Aye, 'twas I who planted the curse of the dragon upon thy friend."

Kirin's fist flew through the air, stopping right in front of the angel's helm. To his surprise, the angel didn't flinch, standing stoically. "I should just kill you right now for what you did to Kurai. Give me one reason why I shouldn't tear you apart."

He swung his hand around, slashing it through the air as he summoned the Key Rift. But nothing happened. Stunned, he tried again and again, to the same effect. Looking down at himself, he saw that his armour had disappeared, leaving him unarmoured.

"Thy power hath departed. It hath passed on. Thou art the Wielder of Light no more."

Kirin glared at the angel in shocked disbelief. "Wha-What do you… mean…?"

The angel sighed. "Thou art dead. Thou dost not reside in the land of the living. With thy death, the powers of the Wielder of Light have fled, and thou art their bearer no longer."

Kirin's eyes widened in shock, and he sagged to his knees. "Wha…t? No longer… the Wielder of Light…?"

Lost Seraph nodded. "Grond has slain thee. That, I think, is what hath triggered the wrath of the dragon."

Kirin raised his eyes to the devastation that lay around him. Behind them, a wall collapsed, the very stones melted. Above them smoke twirled in a hazy dance in the night sky, but even the moon had hidden from sight.

"How was it…?" Kirin asked softly.

Lost Seraph's green eyes flitted to the fallen warrior on his knees next to him. "It is… beyond explanation… beyond description. The wrath of the dragon is not something that can be easily borne. Once… I even tried to kill myself… To end the pain, the struggle… But to be cursed with the dragon is to gain immortality, and such means to end pain is useless. I could not be killed."

Kirin's eyes were wide as he gazed upon the angel. The green aura around him was completely different to the black flames that roared up around them, and he couldn't imagine him as the Dragonlord.

* * *

Kurai screamed again, the wrath of the dragon channelling through his pain and sorrow to wreck havoc upon the castle of Grond. The blood elemental had fled, but wherever he went, Kurai found him. Finally, the two met in the sky above the dark flames, Kurai floating with his dragon wings, Grond using an ancient Aeroga spell.

"Dragon?! Ha! I have faced an angel! A dragon holds no-" Grond was forced to bank sharply as a blast of flames seared the air where his head was a moment ago.

Kurai didn't say anything, a low inhuman growl shaking his body. Betrayal glowed with a black light, and the golden eyes of the dragon glared across to where Grond was panting.

Grond's crimson eyes flitted everywhere, fear raking his body. 'Bastard! Who the hell is he?' Suddenly, his eyes opened wide in comprehension. 'That kid I killed… he had a similar aura to this freak… no way… That bastard was the Wielder of Light?! He didn't take much…'

"Kurai!"

Kurai's golden eyes shifted downwards at Ruin's call, and Grond took his chance. Blasts of blood shot out from his hands, smashing into Kurai. The Dragonlord's body was rocked by the blasts, and Grond cackled in glee as he flew up to Kurai, impaling him straight through with his arm.

Ruin screamed. "Kurai!"

But to both of their astonishment, Betrayal came swishing through the air, severing Grond's arm cleanly. Kurai winked in and out of visibility, his speed heightened to new levels as he unleashed hell on earth onto the helpless blood elemental as Grond screamed in pain and fear.

Finally, Kurai flew up high into the air, blood dripping from him. The moon appeared for a brief moment, but the black flames made it appear as though it were black, and the midnight moon disappeared again as Kurai plummeted downwards. Betrayal roared again, and time stopped for a split second as Kurai's blade made contact with the blood elemental. Then it started again, and a mighty explosion ripped the undead being apart.

Kurai floated down to the ground slowly, his dragon wings outstretched. His eyes still retained a golden hue, and Betrayal's dragon head still roared. Turning to face Ruin, he started to walk steadily forward, the black blade by his side.

* * *

So, what do you guys think? Nice cliffy there, isn't it? I have my revenge on all you other fic writers! xD Nah, I'm interested to see where my deformed mind takes me to too. We'll see... Please review! 


	10. In His Mind's Eye

Right guys, here's 10! Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Reviewers:  
bailkatanas: Thanks for the compliment. I hope this chapter holds the same content.  
Silent Blade: You and me both, bro. xD I hate cliff hangers as much as the next guy, but hey, it holds the audience.  
BlackChaos105: Like I said, I don't like cliffhangers, but like _you_ said, it can't be helped. " Don't worry, I'm trying my level best to hurry up, as I'm interested to see where my deformed brain takes me. xD  
littlehomiieex3: Don't ask, the questions will all be answered in time, if you can wait that long. XD And thanks, I try. Do you mean Chapter 10, by the way?

Right, on with the story? Sure! Here you go!

* * *

Ruin slowly backed away until she was pressed against the wall, her hazel eyes never leaving Kurai's golden ones. She clenched her fist, her energy still not returned sufficiently to open a rift: The Dragonlord's unleashing had caused such a distortion in the dimensional fields that more energy than usual was needed. 

"Kurai, I know it's you! Snap outta it! Get it outta your mind!" she pleaded with the advancing man dressed in the familiar black armour. Her frantic pleadings did nothing, the Dragonlord continuing to approach. Or didn't… it…?

Suddenly, the tall figure stopped moving, his arm still raised. Ruin's hazel eyes saw through the visor, into the golden eyes that held Kurai. There seemed to be silver mingling deep within the amber…

* * *

"Get outta here. You've caused enough damage." Kurai's silver eyes flashed across the clearing to where the dragon stood. "Touch her and I'll kill you." 

"Oh? But I don't have to touch her. She's already dead; she just doesn't know it yet." The dragon was an exact replica of himself, except with golden eyes and a sort of shadow on it, making it look like a denizen of a nightmare.

"What the hell do you mean?" Kurai shot back at him. Trust shimmered into view behind him, a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

The dragon leered at him, a fearsome parody of a smile as fangs showed through its lips. "Oh? Don't you know? The flames, Tenshi, the flames. The black flames of hell."

Kurai's silver eyes narrowed. "I still have no idea what you're talking about. Now, you've got three seconds. Get outta my head. One."

The dragon shook his head, chuckling. "You never learn, do you Tenshi? I can't get out, I _am_ you. Kill me and you kill yourself."

Kurai shrugged. "So? I'm not afraid of death. I've been through worse. Two." With a flash, the keyblade Trust materialized in his hand. The tall seraphic angel behind him gripped his shoulder again, then disappeared, re-entering the keyblade.

The dragon laughed, leaning back as he did so. Flames sprouted in his hand, then with the metallic song of a blade leaving its sheath, the black blade of Betrayal sprouted out of them. "That's the spirit! Y'know, Grond was once an old acquaintance of mine. We never really got along. It was fun killing him. Three!"

Black flames danced along the ground, racing through the even grassy surface of the plain that was Kurai's inner mind. Trust glimmered in the red rays of the crimson moon that shone down onto them in the night amidst the roaring fire, and Betrayal carved arcs of shadow.

The impact was so powerful the shockwave that was emanated put out the fires as it rushed outwards from where keyblade and dragon blade made contact, only for the fires to be relit as the mighty contest of wills was truly joined. For a while, all that could be seen was a blast of pyro-dancing fire, a maelstrom of living flame. Clangs and sparks could be seen as the deadly dance of flames roared around in a spiral of hazing fumes.

A powerful overhand smash was easily parried by Trust, the silver keyblade artfully twisting as the Wielder of Dawn manoeuvred the blade of Betrayal against its wielder. But the dragon was no slouch, suddenly withdrawing Betrayal in an attempt to make Kurai overbalance. But the Wielder was too cunning for it, falling forward while using his momentum to spin around, Trust flying out to careen off Betrayal.

"Heh, you're good. I'll be glad to have your body once I'm done with you." The dragon's golden eyes were alight with battle lust, and it laughed insanely as it swung the black dragon blade with abandon.

"Too bad I can't say the same of you, since that _is_ my body." Kurai returned with a retaliatory upper slash that flowed down the dragon's body as he continued, the final contact with Betrayal held near their feet.

As the dragon manipulated Betrayal expertly, he caught Trust's wide blade in a small notch in the blade, twisting it and forcing the blade out of Kurai's hand. In response, the Wielder of Dawn summoned a rift, the companion to Trust, Ivory, the white keyblade, streaking out of the Key Rift to block and attack that would have decapitated him had he not reacted in time.

"Two? Heh, that just makes it even more fun!" Black shreds of material started to form in the dragon's hand, and the black keyblade, Ebony, shimmered into the hand not holding Betrayal.

Ebony and Ivory, Trust and Betrayal. The opposing blades faced each other as Kurai summoned Trust back into his right hand, Ivory gleaming in his left. The dragon was arrogantly spinning Betrayal in its hand, Ebony almost invisible except when the flickering black flames reflected in the onyx blade.

Again they clashed, separating to stare each other down, then leaping in for another confrontation. Sparks flew from where two blades met, and skilful manipulation of their weapons meant that it was more a contest of concentration and reflexes than skill. The inferno of obsidian roared up around them, obscuring them from outside view, while inside the pyro funnel the two beings danced in a deadly tango to the death.

Then suddenly, the flames dissipated. The two combatants stood on opposite sides of the battlefield, still in battle stance. Suddenly, a flash of light seared through the air, connecting the two battlers. With a grunt, Kurai fell to the ground. His silver eyes glazed over, but he shook his head slowly, his hand clutching a gaping wound at his side as he struggled to rise, the two keyblades stuck tip first in the ground on either side of him.

The dragon turned around, its golden eyes laughing. "Ha! I expected a tougher challenge, Wielder of Dawn!" He tossed Ebony disdainfully onto the ground, then the whole scene warped back to Kurai's eyes, where he was looking out through his own eyes at the tired young woman before him, with no control over his own body.

"No!" His mind screamed.

* * *

Ruin almost had her hopes up, but then the motionless figure before her stirred. Glancing hopefully at his eyes, she saw to her terror and numb acceptance that they remained gold, not the silver she knew and loved. She hung her head, too tired to resist. 

And with Kirin gone, why should she…?

She looked up again as the figure stumbled, and saw a flash of silver through the amber, but it was gone before it could establish itself. Then it returned, and Ruin saw the pain of a million hearts in the eyes of Kurai, and the guilt and fear. A small smile flitted on her face, as she mouthed the words, "I forgive you…"

A single tear welled up in the corner of her eyes, and she saw it mirrored in Kurai's eyes as the silver took full control of his eyes. But only his eyes. Kurai still had no control of his body. And each step brought Ruin closer to her death.

The black dragon blade, Betrayal, started to howl. Chill winds started to blow around the dragon, and the soft singing of an ancient tongue started up all around them, as the black flames created a shape, the head of a dragon, emblazoned into the ground around the dragon.

Ruin heard the call, the requiem of the dragon, a dirge for the dead and the dying, and she felt a great sense of longing, to join in with the voices, to blend into the flow. She heard Kirin's voice, or she thought she did, calling her, beckoning to her, caressing her. Her eyes closed, as she lifted her face to the heavens.

A light rain started to fall. Ruin felt the drops on her upturned face, both warm and cold at the same time. Through her mind, memories flooded her, her first meeting with Kirin and Kurai, the day the Heartless came, the day she was chosen of the keyblade, the day they discovered that the keyblades were sentient, the day Kirin discovered the rifts, the day she was forced to choose between Kirin and Kurai…

Tears started to roll down her face, a cascading waterfall. But it wasn't out of fear or regret, it was of contentment. She would be the first to admit her life had been short, but also the first to say that her life had been full. Her eyes opened again, and the black blade was all she saw. She snapped her eyes shut out of reflex as the whistle of the blade falling came through her ears, but she never felt the blow. Instead, the haunting sound of a blade ripping through armour and flesh sounded through her mind as she opened her eyes, to the vermillion sight of Astaldo, the Keyblade of Love, appearing in her hand and burning with a fierce light.

* * *

Dropping to his knees before Ruin, Astaldo gasped his dying breath. Betrayal had sheared effortlessly through his armour, and the tall, beautiful, if such perfection on a man could be called beauty, man was lying on the ground, slowly becoming clearer and less opaque, his hand clenching at the ground in a gesture that described the pain he was feeling, golden hair being dyed with the hue of blood. His blue eyes met his Wielder's, whom he had sworn to protect with his life, then they closed, and he simply disappeared, fading into the ground. The keyblade in Ruin's hand screamed, an awful high-pitched keening cry, then the light that engulfed it burst into scarlet flames, and it disintegrated, the life which formed it extinguished. 

Ruin now held no protection. Her energy gone, absorbed by the whirling darkness that surrounded the dragon, her keyblade destroyed, powerless, even the magical energies that she took in unconsciously that gave her the near-legendary magical abilities that she was known for had dissipated. She raised her head again, this time determined not to close them. She gazed deep into Kurai's silver eyes, even as his mind screamed at the dragon to stop, and she never looked away, not even when Betrayal slashed downwards, not even when the spark of life had gone from her eyes, and she was kneeling in a crimson pool, refusing to look away even in death.

The scream came out of the dragon's mouth, startling it. The townspeople who were rushing towards the scene when they had first seen the black flames swore that the sound wasn't human, and as one they turned back, crying out of haunted beings in the Castle of Blood.

"RUIN! KIRIN!"

* * *

The blast of pure energy from within itself was something the dragon had never experienced. Raw energy in a form that combined both light and darkness pummelled it, and it writhed in pain. 

"GET THE HELL OUTTA MY HEAD!"

The dragon's eyes opened wide. Kurai's core exploded all his anger, rage, fury, grief and overall emotion in one massive burst, and the dragon screamed as it was forced out, golden eyes shut tight against the brilliant silver that threatened to overwhelm it.

They stood again, two separate beings, so alike, yet so different. One was now pure black, golden eyes standing out in the silhouette of a person, and the other was clad in white, silver eyes glaring at his opposite.

"I warned you, didn't I? Touch her and I'll kill you. Nothing business, just personal." He spat on the ground, his silver eyes never leaving the amber before him. Then his lips spread in a feral grin. "In fact, I'd like to thank ya."

The dragon raised one eyebrow. "Oh?"

Trust and Ivory burst forth in a white and silver blur, and Kurai settled into the starting stance of dual-wielding samurai, Ivory held out to his side with his left hand, crouching down on his right leg with his left leg out to the side, his whole body turned slightly to the left, while holding Trut as though it were an actual katana, edge upwards, wrist rotated, hand at the waist.

"Y'see, now there's no reason to hold back. With no one to hold back for, with no one to live for, there's nothing holding me back." His grin widened. "With the only two left to live for gone… my life isn't important anymore. That way, I can finally go all out."

A wave of power seemed to flow from Kurai, as he held both his keyblades motionlessly. For a while nothing moved, then a slight shift in Kurai's body signalled the genesis of the fight.

The dragon threw his head back, unleashing a mighty howl as the shockwave sent a blast of the surrounding debris at Kurai. The Wielder of Dawn and Dusk kept running, Ivory swiping out to smash through all his obstacles, Trust held securely next to him. Betrayal snaked through the rocks, glancing off Ivory as Ebony went in for a powerful strike.

Kurai ducked, spinning with the descent of his body, his momentum causing the velocity of his attack to increase as he brought Trust swinging out with as much force as he could muster. Black light exploded all around them as the dragon brought Betrayal falling down, to match the blow of Trust.

* * *

Sorry, BlackChaos. Cliffy time! XDDDD Y'see, you know as well as I do that it keeps them coming back for more. Hery, I'm desperate that way. xD You guys are why I keep going, and why I _can_ keep going. So review, review, review! 


	11. Change of Plans

Woah... what with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows coming out on Saturday, it's a wonder anyone reviewed at all. This chapter is dedicated to BlackChaos105 and littlehomiieex3, the only two people who reviewed! Thanks guys!

**BlackChaos105:** Yes, no one likes cliffhangers. But they are vital in keeping a story alive, sometimes. An unfortunate nessacity, you might say. And no, I don't think I spelt nessacity right. As for your friend, I'm not too surprised, come to think of it. This writing style has been immortalized since the time of Tolkien. Yes, questionable sanity can come in useful. And regarding Sora... well, you'll just have to wait and see won't you? Insert evil grin here **  
**

**littlehomiieex3:** Well, your patience won't have to be tested long (Until you've finished this chapter... ), here's Chapter 11! Enjoy! And we all get tired, especially me. I'm the one doing the writing...

* * *

"Then what happened?" Despite himself, Sora couldn't help but be absorbed into Kurai's tale. The raw emotion in his voice as he spoke of Ruin and Kirin, the loss of sparkle at their deaths, the anger and fury he had felt at the dragon, they all swept him along, until he could see the images in his eyes.

Tears were leaking down Kairi's face, and Yuffie was some way off, full out bawling her eyes out. Tifa was ignoring the tears that were leaking out of her eyes, looking off into the distance, hoping to catch the sight of a single black wing, and even Riku and the stoic Leon were discreetly wiping tears from their eyes.

Kurai leant back, putting his hands behind his head in a manner that was startlingly similar to Sora as he closed his eyes. "Heh, well… I don't really remember too much what happened back then. All I remember is the taste of blood, the song of the sword, the melody of the haunting wind, the scream of blade on blade, the cry of the keyblade, the roar of the dragon, the howling of life." He opened one eye to look at Sora, grinning. "You don't remember too much of a battle to the death, let me tell you that."

A shadow fell over Sora's face as he nodded. He couldn't remember too much of his battle with Xemnas, and with Ansem. Next to him, Kairi sidled closer, as did Riku, both noticing the shadow on Sora's face. Kairi took his hand gently, while Riku gripped his shoulder.

"Well, no point sitting around here while the Queen's in danger." Kurai stood up suddenly, startling all of them. Lionheart was halfway out of its sheath when Kurai held up a hand, shaking his head, smiling. Leon slowly replaced the gunblade, which had shrunk back down to its normal steel blade, instead of the glowing moon-steel. "Calm down, Squall Leonhart."

Leon's eyes widened at this. Lionheart came fully out of his sheath, as he pointed it at Kurai, the gunblade starting to hum into its blue moon blade. "How…?" he murmured.

"Heh, I've been alive longer than any of you, and I'm still living now. You tend to pick up some things if you've lived a couple 'undred years." Kurai's smile grew. "Besides, that necklace of your just screams out your true self, Renzokuken Knight."

Sora stood between them, Oblivion pointing at Kurai, Oathkeeper pointing at Leon. "Shut up, the two of you! I don't know what's going on, but you're right." He glared at Kurai. "I don't know if I believe you or not, but we'll see. Leon has his reasons for not revealing who he really is." He glanced at Leon for a split second, then faced Kurai again. "The Queen's in danger. I promised the King I'd go save her. I want to hear the rest of your story, like how you're still alive after so long, and how you know so much. But that can wait."

Riku cut in. "And I want to know why the flames went into the symbol of the Heartless."

Kurai's smile grew soft and sad. "Y'know Sora, you're really like Kirin. Heh. I'm coming with you three as well, Riku, Kairi, Sora. I grew up in this dimension, and I've lived in it for a long time. I'm gonna help you. Besides, you won't be able to use your Forms there."

Sora's eyes widened. "Whadaya mean I can't use my Forms?" A flash of light, and he stood in Final Form, just like he had when he was fighting Kurai.

Kurai laughed, shaking his head. "This place is more or less the borderline between your dimension and mine. It allows anyone here to use powers from either dimension."

He raised his hand, and a blast of black light erupted, hiding him from view for a second. When the light cleared and they could see again, Kurai was clothed in what looked like scales, his normal flowing clothes gone. It seemed as though the dragon had awakened, and for a second everyone nearly drew their weapons again, but they could see that his eyes were silver. Draconic wings that sprouted from his shoulders in place of the feathery wings that he normally had glowed slightly with an inner golden flame, while the scales themselves were black, completely covering his legs and stomach, continuing up the sides of his body and arms but leaving his chest and back free.

"This is the Dracon Form. It's a Form that I created after taming my dragon, and drawing on the aura of my dimension. Y'see, your Form absorbs the aura of your dimension, which mixes with your inner qualities, and gives you new power. Sometimes, if your own power is weak, you might have to borrow the strength of another person, absorbing the values they hold dear and strengthening your resolve. But if you're strong enough, like you are now, you can use your Forms without needing external help."

Sora listened in reluctant fascination: He had never learned how the Forms worked, and had just thought that he needed either Goofy or Donald's help to transform. His sudden ability to be able to transform without them after defeating Xemnas had surprised him, but then again, he thought it was probably because with Roxas returning to him, he had gained strength.

"But now that you have come into another dimension, the powers of your dimension are starting to weaken. Go further into this one, and you'll find that sooner or later you won't be able to use your Forms at all." Kurai clicked his fingers, and the scales melted away, morphing into his clothes. "If I had to go to your dimension, then I wouldn't be able to use any of the few Forms I have."

Sora shook his head to clear it of the doubts he was starting to have about his ability to save the Queen. "So that's why our Gummi Ship can't go any further… Then I'll just have to do it without them then, like how I beat Ansem!" he growled.

Kurai shook his head, the sad smile still on his face. "It's not that easy, Sora. For one thing, Ansem will be a pushover compared to how these guys you're facing now are. They took the wife of the Wielder of the Gold Keyblade, didn't they? Just goes to show. They ain't scared of you or him at the moment, which is scary, since Mickey is one of the most powerful Wielders, although he may not look it."

Something occurred to Sora. "How do you know Mickey if you haven't been to other dimensions before?"

Kurai laughed. "I was wondering when you'd ask that question. _I've_ never been to another dimension besides the Heartless dimension." He stopped, grinning as he placed extra emphasis on the 'I've'.

"No way…" muttered Sora in dawning comprehension. "The King? _He_ came?" He tried to picture the mouse king hopping through dimensions.

"Maybe." Kurai could be infuriating at times. "Guess it's time to drop the bombshell. Y'see, this dimension was once a part of yours. …_Events_ forced it to divide itself."

"And the King came before it separated. Correct?" Leon again proved himself efficient, absorbing the information, piecing together the pieces, then adding a good dose of common sense.

Kurai nodded. "Right. We were… ah… _acquaintances _of each other, long ago. He probably thinks I'm dead."

Sora narrowed his eyes at the tall giant. "You still have a lot to explain. Your _story_ back then did nothing but set out the bones. When we get back from saving the Queen, you are going to tell us everything."

It wasn't a request; it was an order. The Wielder of Light's eyes held a steely glint in them as he glared at Kurai. It wasn't unlike the one that a certain Wielder had that Kurai had known. He held up his hands in surrender. "Alright then, when we get back. Now, that map that you had with you before this all happened. I don't trust it."

Sora reverted out of Final Form, digging into his pocket. Puling out the map, he passed it to Kurai, who stared at it for a few seconds. Suddenly, he threw it up into the air, sending a blast of dark flames at it, incinerating it instantly. The minute the parchment disappeared, a massive explosion engulfed the air around it, sending a shockwave down to where the party stood.

Riku slammed his hand into the ground, sending up a portal of darkness around them, while Leon activated the Fated Circle again. Kurai simply raised his hand, and black fire roared up around the team. The shockwave rebounded off the combined defence, smashing into the castle and sending rubble down.

"Dang. That was a good castle too." Kurai didn't seem overly fazed by the destruction of his home, although his silver eyes scanned the damage expertly.

"What _was_ that?" asked Sora, brushing dirt off himself.

Kurai turned to face him, his silver eyes serious for once. "A curse. I wouldn't have expected you guys to notice it though. It was pretty well-hidden. Once you reached the destination it wanted you to go…" He gestured around at the rubble littering the place. "Boom."

Sora's eyes widened. "But how would we go where it wants us to go? I mean, it's not like it can guess where we're going next…. Can it…?" He faltered as Kurai continued gazing at him.

"No, it can't sense where you're going next. But it can guess where you _want_ to go, and will label the place it wants you to go as such. In other words, say it wants you to go to… hmm… Radiant Garden? Yeah, that'll do. Anyways, say it wants you to go to Radiant Garden. But you want to go to… Twilight Town. Damn, it's hard remembering those names. It's been so long. So it labels Radiant Garden's position as Twilight Town. When you reach where you think is Twilight Town, it turns out to be Radiant Garden, and then… Boom."

Yuffie whistled. "Phew… Talk about devious." She eyed Kurai. "How didja find out then?"

Kurai spread his hands, grinning. "Like I said, stick around for a few 'undred years, and you tend to pick up a thing or two about concealment and detection."

Sora shrugged it off. "Well, although it might've been a curse, it at least showed us a path to follow. What're we gonna do now?"

Kurai grinned again. "Easy. Just follow me. Now, what was the next stop on the map?"

"The Digital World." Sora replied.

Kurai shook his head. "That's a good place, but I have someplace better. Soul Society."

"Where's that? And why there?" Sora asked curiously.

Kurai's silver eyes narrowed. "I'll tell you once we take care of the Heartless out there."

Sora spun around, Oathkeeper and Oblivion appearing in his hands as Way to the Dawn and True Heart formed in their Wielders' hands. Yuffie came running in, shouting. "Heartless!"

Kurai swung his hand out to the side, a rip in the dimensional fabric forming. Sora and the rest of his friends watched in awe. Although they had heard of it a lot from Kurai, they had never seen it actually happening. The rift widened, and Kurai plunged his hand in, drawing the magnificent black blade, Betrayal.

Suddenly, Leon stepped in front of them.

"Leave this to us. We'll take care of these guys. The four of you go wherever Tenshi there wants you to. Lionheart!" As he called out the name of his weapon and his legacy, the bright blue moonsteel blade hummed into life.

Conformer whirled through the air in a seamless whirlwind, and the hyperactive ninja wielding it winked cheerfully at the four of the travellers. "What Leon said."

Tifa tightened her gloves. Her eyes and fingers lingered a bit on the small bulge on her fourth finger of her right hand: The ring that Cloud had given her before he left. "Yeah, we'll take care of this place. Kurai, mind giving us directions to this Soul Society? We'll catch up later with reinforcements."

Kurai laughed. "Sorry, Soul Society is pretty hard to locate. For one thing, I'm not entirely sure where it is. Y'see, the entrance to the bloody place changes every now and again. So it wouldn't be where I last knew the entrance was. But I'll find it."

Tifa frowned. "Well… I guess it can't be helped. We'll find it, one way or the other." She fixed Kurai with a steely glare. "If anything happens to Sora, Riku or Kairi, I'm holding you personally responsible."

Kurai raised his hands again in mock surrender. "Yes ma'am." But then his eyes hardened again as he lowered his hands. "I swear my life on it."

Tifa looked taken aback for a second, then nodded. Leon's face was grim as Lionheart sheared a Heartless in half. "Here they come."

Sora turned to Kurai. "Why are you so adamant in bringing me to this Soul Society place first anyway?"

Kurai grinned down at him as he took Sora and Riku's hands, kneeling down and ordering Kairi onto his back. "You want to get a new Form to use here, don't you?"

With a whoosh, black wings materialized from his shoulder blades, holding Kairi securely between them while he held onto Riku and Sora's arms, then with a single flap, he soared off into the air, showering the Heartless below with feathers that decimated their numbers.

"Hey! Where's the fun for us?!" shouted Yuffie from below. The blade of Lionheart flashed through the dusk while Conformer spun through the Heartless ranks, and Tifa's mighty punches created craters in the ground.

* * *

"They'll be alright, Sora." Kairi murmured. 

"I hope so. I really hope so…" Sora replied as the wind blew his hair back, and the angel carried them towards their new destination.

* * *

So, what do you guys think? Interesting? I've already revealed two of the Worlds Sora and Co. are going to be travelling to... Cookies to the person who can guess another! Hmmm... alright, put it this way. When you review, stick the name of the next world you think I'll put in will be! If you guess it right, then you get to create a custom character that I'll put in the fic for you! No, you don't get to guess more than once a chapter. No going back to the previous chapters to guess! ( And here's a little encouragement: Female characters get the chance to be Riku's... 'Special One'! So get reviewing! 


	12. Falling out of Form

Right, sorry for the late update, and I won't be updating for the next two weeks, since I've got exams coming up. Sorry for all those who've been waiting eagerly for this...

Now, I'm glad to announce the winner for the Guess the World competition, **BlackChaos105!!!** Congratz! You get to create your own custom character to fit in the fic! If you create a female character, she gets to be Riku's... I'll leave you guys to finish to sentence. ; )

_**To my reviewers:  
**_BlackChaos105: Yes, it is, isn't it? Too bad exams all next week will keep me from working on this story... And you guessed right! Groove Adventure RAVE, known to the Western world as Rave Master, will be one of the worlds in this fic! xD  
ShireFolk: Sorry, Having never watched FMA, I'm not adding it in this fic. Maybe in a future one when I've actually watched it, but not in this one. And yeah, I wasn't expecting too many reviews with the chapter before last, what with the release of the Deathly Hallows. )  
bailkatanas: Sorry for making the backstory drag on a bit. I tend to get carried away when writing, although my teacher says it helps. xD Yes, we are back to Sora and Co., and I'm hoping the previous chapters roused some questions. But then again, which chapter doesn't?  
littlehomiieex3: You're right, Soul Society and the Digital World, Bleach and Digimon, are going to be in this fic. But since I've already mentioned them before, they don't count, just in case you were thinking of trying out for a custom charrie in the fic. I have another four or five worlds planned too. I'll be glad when I get to revisit this world. xD

* * *

"That's strange… it hasn't moved…" 

Kurai stared at the large gate, covered in what looked like bandages, while the gateway itself was open, revealing a writhing mass of colour. Betrayal shifted uneasily in his hand, and his left hand unconsciously reached over and grasped his right words.

Sora stood slightly behind him, his arms behind his hand in his trademark pose. "So… is this bad or good?"

Kurai shrugged. "I dunno. Might be good might be bad. Who knows?"

Suddenly, two blasts of light erupted behind them, and they whiled around at Kairi's cry of, "Heartless!"

Flames whirled its way down Way to the Dawn, and Riku casually fired a Firaga spell at the bunch of silver-bodied enemies before him. "Close, Kairi. Those aren't Heartless, they're Nobodies."

Sora flung his hands down, Oathkeeper and Oblivion forming out of thin air. Inside him, in a corner of his heart where his own Nobody resided, he felt a small squirming. 'Roxas…'

Kurai stepped forward, swinging Betrayal down through the air. A black wave of energy shot out, smashing through the Nobody ranks, and they gave way a bit. "Hmmm…. Nobodies so close to the Senkaimon, and it still opened and unchanged after so long… I don't like the looks of it…"

The Nobody ranks surged forward again, and Sora felt another twisting in his heart at the sight of some Samurai Nobodies, the Nobodies Roxas had had control over when he had still been in the Organization. 'Roxas, not now… I'm sorry, but not now….'

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

Suddenly, a wave of white energy even larger than the one Kurai had sent forward crashed into the Nobodies, disintegrating the whole frontline. As the Nobodies broke rank and scattered, they heard footsteps behind them.

"Oi. Who're you guys? Not those bloody Heartless or Nobodies, by the look of it. Spit it out."

The speaker was a tall man, the only thing more distinguishing than his shock of bright orange hair being the massive sword that was in his hand, and pointing straight at them. He was dressed in black flowing robes with a white lining, with a red sash over his shoulder. His face was set into a frown, and his eyes were a piercing hazel.

Kurai stepped forward. Holding Betrayal straight above his head, he looked straight into the newcomer's eyes, and said, "Sink your fangs into your wielder, Betrayal."

A bright flash of gold shone deep within the eyes of the dragon head that served as the crossguard of the dragon blade, and the mouth of the dragon opened. A roar echoed all around them, as the dragon awoke, and the blade started to warp and twist, contorting. A blast of black light forced everyone including the newcomer to look away, and when they looked back, Kurai had a massive claymore propped on his shoulder.

The dragon head remained the same, only with its mouth open, and the grip and everything below the head was unchanged. But the blade was totally different. Instead of the straight black blade they were used to, Betrayal had somehow morphed into a massive blade that was about the size of Kurai. With his height, that meant the blade was very long, and although not as wide as Kurai was, it was at the least as wide as the blade that the newcomer was now pointing at Kurai.

"A zanpakutou? Interesting. What Division are you from? I don't see a mask, so you wouldn't be an Arrancar…" The orange-haired man seemed to be almost talking to himself, his brown eyes never straying far from Kurai, Sora, Riku and Kairi.

Suddenly, Kurai leapt into the air, spinning around and slashing outwards with the massive blade. The man was startled into action, pulling back with his blade as it started to glow with blue light. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

A blast of white light identical to the one that had destroyed the frontline of Heartless roared out from the massive black blade with the silver edge, and streaked through the air at Kurai. But an even larger shockwave of black light erupted from Betrayal, smashing into the attack from the man and disintegrating it completely. The blast continued travelling, smashing into the open space behind the man, who spun around, blade flashing as he kept the debris from hitting him.

"Kurai! What-?!" shouted Riku.

But Kurai floated down gently, swinging Betrayal down at his side. At the zenith of the swing, the blade was the huge claymore, but when the blade reached the bottom of the arc, it had shrunk back into the long thin blade they were accustomed to. The trio again noticed the smirk on Kurai's face.

Then they noticed the massive being behind the stranger, cleaved straight in two. The being was familiar, one of those who had attacked Radiant Garden, the beings that Kurai had called Hollows, resembling large Heartless wearing white masks.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. Heh, you're gotten better since we last met." Kurai casually propped Betrayal on his shoulder again.

The man, Kurosaki Ichigo, took a step back. "No… way… You're still alive? Tenshi Kurai?!" He shook his head. "I don't believe it!"

Kurai strode forward to grip the other man's hand in his own. "Well met. I see you're getting the hang of Getsuga Tenshou. How's Zangetsu?"

Ichigo laughed. "The old geezer? Yeah, he's doing alright." He held the massive sword before him. "Right, Zangetsu?"

Although nothing moved or stirred except the wind in their hair, the teens distinctly felt as though some disembodied voice had answered in the affirmative, although even two seconds after that they couldn't identify the words used.

Oathkeeper fidgeted uneasily in Sora's hand. "Ku-Kurai…? What was that?"

Kurai turned back to face them. "That's called a zanpakutou. Literally, it means a cutting souls knife, and that would more or less mean a sword that can cut souls. But it can still cut you though, so be careful."

Ichigo slung his sword onto his back, where the long bandage-like cloth on the end of the pommel lengthened immeasurably, wrapping around the blade to hold it safely. Looking closer, the zanpakutou, as it was called, although primitive-looking, was actually an elegant blade. Resembling nothing so much as a giant meat cleaver, the blade was solid black, with a silver edge. There was no crossguard or even a proper handle; the blade narrowed into a blunt spoke that was wrapped in what looked like bandages, which extended into the long wrap that now held the blade on the orange-haired man's back.

"Hmm… you three with Kurai? Then I guess you're friends." He glanced around as a familiar screech rent the air, and his eyes narrowed. Kairi's hand shot to her mouth, and her eyes opened wide as she gasped in fear. Kurai spun around, Betrayal slashing through the air in a black arc.

"Hollows!" shouted Ichigo, the bandages from his sword flaring out as he grabbed the grip, drawing it fluidly. The immeasurable length of cloth shrunk down to a short length, and he held it before him, his hazel eyes darting everywhere. "Kurai, you get the kids in the Senkaimon. Urahara fixed it up so it can accept even those who aren't made of spirit particles."

To his surprise, Kurai just chuckled and shook his head. "I don't think I need to. Stand back and watch."

Sora's eyes blazed silver as he morphed into Final Form; and Riku's darkened to abyssal depths. The Wielder of Light turned to Kairi. "Are these the guys who nearly killed you?"

Kairi took a tentative step back, her eyes wide as she gazed at one of the hulking monsters, the Hollows a black blot on the sandy brown landscape. She nodded slowly.

Immediately, Sora threw his hand forwards, Oathkeeper slinging out and striking a Hollow right in the face. Reeling back, the creature screeched in pain, the echoing resonance of the cry fading as the creature dissolved into small particles. Sora's face was expressionless, Oathkeeper returning to float by his side as the raw energy of the Final Form kept him floating in the air. But something was wrong…

Suddenly, the silver drained out of his clothes and eyes. Oathkeeper and Oblivion dropped out of the air, standing tip in the ground on either side of him. He fell to his knees, his eyes wide. "Wha-?"

With echoing cries, the Hollows attacked, only to be met by a blast of black and white light. Way to the Dawn danced in and out of the Hollows, shearing through them effortlessly. Riku stepped protectively in front of Sora.

"Sora, you alright?" he called over his shoulder. Way to the Dawn emitted a slight hum as Riku swung it down to his side.

Sora got back up to his feet, a hand flying to his head as he stumbled slightly, his head dizzy. "Ye-yeah… I'll be alright…"

A flash of crimson light, and Kairi was by his side, True Heart in her hand. "Sora…? You alright?" she asked, placing a cool hand on his head.

A flare of red tinged Sora's cheeks, and he felt his dizziness disappear as he forced himself to stand upright. "Yeah, I'm alright. Never better!"

Behind them, Kurai nodded at Ichigo. The two of them stepped forward, their blades forming twin arcs in the air.

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

"Hisuga Rikushou."

The white shockwave that shot out of Zangetsu, Ichigo's zanpakutou, was sharply contrasted by the black blade that roared from Betrayal, and the two attacks demolished the Hollows entirely.

Kurai walked up to Sora, steadying him. "Heh, I warned you about your Forms, didn't I? Well, let's get you into Soul Society." He turned to Ichigo. "Will the old man allow it?"

Ichigo smirked at the angel's question. "Probably not."

Kurai returned the grin. "Then let's go pay him a surprise visit."

Sora struggled free of Kurai. "I can walk!" He protested fiercely, grabbing onto Oathkeeper and Oblivion to keep himself upright. As soon as Kairi's hand left his face, he had felt the dizziness return in double measure.

Riku stepped to his left, supporting him, as Kairi came up to his right. "You're coming with us whether you like it or not." Riku was stern. "Remember how I got hit by Xemnas for you? You helped me. Now it's my turn." He flashed a grin. "And I don't think it'll be the last time."

Kairi waggled her finger in front of Sora's face. "Look you, don't go pulling any more heroics. We've got enough here, what with Riku and Kurai."

Kurai looked hurt. "What? Why me?"

Ichigo laughed, then glanced around again, his finely tuned instincts detecting something that they couldn't, except for Kurai. "We better hurry. Get in there."

The three of them nodded, and with Kurai leading the way and Ichigo watching their rear, the three of them hobbled in, with Sora protesting all the way.

* * *

Well, that's it. I decided not to end on a cliffhanger because then I'd have you guys breathing down my neck for an update, exams or no. XD So here you go, and if you're out of reading material over the next two weeks, check out my other fics! Only one of them's finished though, and it's a Oneshot, so it might not be enough.  



	13. Soul Society

Sorry for the supremely late update folks! No, I haven't given up on the fic yet, but like my last update said, I had exams, and ion the last day of exams I caught the flu. Nasty. But here I am again, And here's Chapter 13! Enjoy!

**To my reviewers  
**littlehomiieex3: Heh, just checking. Next chappy here!  
BlackChaos105: Nope, it doesn't have to be from the World you guessed. In fact, it can be from any world, those before or those you guess may come, and it can also be totally custom, just like Kurai.  
bailkatanas: No new questions eh? I'm off form. This should brew some new ones then.  
Silent Blade: Heh, I'll blame them then. xD Soon isn't as soon as I'd have liked, but it's better than nothing...

So, now that we've got that over with, here's the fic!

* * *

"Is this… Soul Society..?"

White towers reared up in the centre of an intricate design that encompassed all four points of the compass, with a single lone building in the distance that had what looked like a massive chimney extending up from it. The three massive villages they could see, with the fourth being hidden by the white towers, were teeming with people, and were further divided into twenty sections each. In the centre, a single ivory tower, taller than any others next to it, looked majestically down upon its subjects, yet it also seemed to have a melancholy look to it where it overlooked a cliff that looked like it had been sheared in half.

Sora gasped at the sight before him, then swayed slightly as his head whirled, causing Riku's arm to tighten around his best friend, while Kairi's head flashed in his direction in concern. Kurai's eyes flashed once, but otherwise he didn't show any emotion. Ichigo just walked on ahead, oblivious to what was happening behind him after he had taken the lead.

"Kurai, what's wrong with Sora?" Kairi turned her head to the tall angel, her eyes filled with distress as she kept walking, following Riku's lead.

Kurai shook his head. "I don't know, Kairi. I knew that without the power from your dimension, Sora's Form would falter, but giving out so suddenly like that, as well as draining so much of his energy… There's something going on, and I don't like it. That's why I came here."

Sora managed to raise his head at that. "Why…?"

Before Kurai could answer, Ichigo spoke up. "Oi, Kurai. All this about Forms and that, you want me to teach him Shikai, don't you?"

Kurai's face curved into a feral grin, not unlike that of the dragon that they had glimpsed before, and Riku's hand drifted carelessly to his side, swinging lazily along, yet ready to summon the Way to the Dawn in half a seconds notice.

"Not Shikai, Ichigo. Bankai."

The three teens felt a sudden surge of power course through them at two syllables of the last word, enough so that to Riku and Kairi's surprise, Sora was more or less fit enough to walk unassisted again.

Ichigo whirled around. "Bankai?! You want me to teach him Bankai?! Shikai's possible, half of Soul Society has it, but there're only like ten people with Bankai! And how?! He's not even dead!"

Sora's head whipped around to face Kurai. "DEAD?!"

Kurai backed off, laughing, holding his hands up. "Well you see Sora… Soul Society is just that, a society of souls. And souls mean dead people."

Kairi pointed at Ichigo, who fidgeted. "What about him?"

"Him? He's a special case. He gained his shinigami powers in a way that the higher ups in Soul Society don't really approve off. Luckily for him, he's saved them from a disaster once, so they accepted him… kinda."

"Shinigami?" asked Riku.

"Yeah, Death Gods. They patrol the World, performing a rite known as the konsou to purify Pluses, which are normal souls, and send them to Soul Society. A Burial of sorts." Kurai explained.

"We also go around slaying Hollows, which are those ugly sonuvaguns back there. Apparently…" he said to Kairi. "You've met them before?"

Kairi nodded. "They attacked me and Kurai… Kurai took a spear in the back for me…"

As Sora and Riku turned astounded eyes onto the tall angel, he merely waved his hand. "Had to keep her from getting hurt somehow. If she'd died, it would've been very inconvenient. Anyway, enough about this. We'd better get into Seireitei before we continue any discussion. Ichigo, you got anyone to cover for you?"

Ichigo nodded, closing his eyes. To the three teens' astonishment, a river of energy flowed off him, bathing the entire area with a ghostly blue hue as the very dust on the ground and sweat on their faces started getting blown upwards. Ichigo himself was standing motionless in the centre, the blue glow particularly intense as it formed into his outline. A massive pillar formed out of his swirling energy, rising up high into the sky where their eyes couldn't follow.

Within moments, a squad of about ten people arrived, seeming to appear out of thin air, a whisp of movement being all that could be seen before they appeared. They were dressed like Ichigo, in flowing black robes that were reminiscent of Ichigo's, and all of them were holding swords, although none as big as Ichigo's. A short woman, seemingly their leader, with short hair that had a single bang over her face and that spread out at her neck, walked straight up to Ichigo and kicked him in the shin.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Ichigo rubbed the affronted shin in pain.

"Bakamono! What was the point of raising your reiatsu to that level?! That might've brought every single Hollow in the vicinity running!" She yelled right back at him, jabbing her finger in his stomach, which was about as far as she could reach without stretching.

"I had visitors! I had to call you somehow!" replied Ichigo, sullenly looking away from her.

"Couldn't you have gone down to Seirei– Visitors?" She spun around, catching sight of the four new arrivals for the first time. Sora and Kairi waved weakly.

The woman gestured at the remaining nine people of the squad, who nodded, then vanished, again a slight blur being their only warning. When she turned back to face them, Sora's eyes blazed through the darkness of the cavern, again seeing everything with perfect detail, and saw the plague on her left shoulder, wooden with the Japanese kanji for Thirteen engraved on it.

Kurai stepped forward out of the darkness, raising one hand so a ball of light appeared in it, hovering just above his palm, illuminating the area. "Nice to see you again, Rukia."

"Ku- rai…? Tenshi Kurai?!" The woman seemed thunderstruck, then regained her composure. "Heh, it's been a while hasn't it?"

Kurai nodded. "A real long time. How's your brother doin'?"

"Onii-sama? He's doing well. But then he never lets on much." The woman stepped forward. "Are these your friends?"

Sora followed Kurai's lead, and stepped into the light, followed by Riku and Kairi. "Hey, the name's Sora."

"Riku."

"My name's Kairi."

"My name is Kuchiki Rukia, Vice-Captain of the 13th Division. Are you three shinigami as well?" Rukia asked.

"Rukia, this er… isn't exactly the time. We need to get to Seireitei to get something done, so that's why Ichigo called you guys instead of patrolling the place by himself." Kurai cut in.

"Oh…! My apologies. Why didn't you tell me earlier? Ichigo, let's go!" Rukia ran off, dragging a helpless Ichigo off by his collar. As soon as they were out of sight, Kurai burst out laughing. Sora, Riku and Kairi all gazed at him strangely.

"Are they always like that?" asked Kairi nervously.

Kurai nodded. "Yeah. They always act like little children around each other. Fidgety and all. Kinda cute really." He glanced at Sora and Kairi and grinned. "Like Kirin and Ruin too." He lapsed into silence.

Sora took the lead, since looking at Kurai made him pretty fidgety himself. "Come on guys, lets get to this Seireitei place!"

Kurai laughed again. "What, am I scaring you guys? Come on, Seireitei's over that way, where those two kids have gone."

Riku, who had been pondering something for a while, spoke up. "Kurai, you said something about Ichigo being a special case. What did you mean, exactly?"

"Eh?" Kurai looked bemused for a second, then grinned. "Well, you see, although Ichigo wasn't technically _dead_ dead, that's his soul that's walking around. His body _technically_ becomes a corpse when he's out of it. And when he's out of it, something called a mod soul, short for modification soul which is a man-made soul created with extra powers in a certain area, for example running, punching, swimming, brain power, you get the picture; can be inserted into his body. Once it's in, it can take control of old Ichi's body, and make him run like the wind, punch through sheer metal, swim sea to the mainland in five seconds, and become the next Einstein."

Riku's ears caught one word out of the explaination. "Wasn't?" he asked.

"Well yeah, it was pretty long ago since I last saw Ichigo. He's dead now, like _dead_ dead." Kurai replied nonchalantly.

Kairi looked like she was going to faint. "So he was a _ghost_?"

"Well no, I mean, you could see him, hear him, and you saw that he can _really_ touch those Hollows. He's no more dead than you and me, but on a different existence, if you get my meaning. Put it this way: He's around fifty years old."

Sora's face registered surprise. "Fifty?! He looks eighteen!"

Kurai shrugged. "Well, he must've gotten killed when he was eighteen. Souls can choose what age they take upon becoming one. Most choose their actual death age, although not all."

"You make it sound so normal…" muttered Riku.

Kurai shrugged. "For them, it _is_ normal. Something that seems normal to you might be strange to other people, while something that seems strange to you might seem normal to other people. So why judge?"

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "You've got a point there…"

Kurai cuffed him lightly. "Come on then, let's get down to Seireitei. It's time to clear up some questionts, such as who took Queen Minnie and why."

Sora looked at Kurai in surprise. "You know who took the Queen?!"

Kurai's face darkened. "I might."

And all the way down the winding path, despite their badgering, he wouldn't say another word.

* * *

Did that raise some questions? I know it's not my normal style of writing, but I guess it works. Tell you what, tell me in your reviews if it fits. Then I can see if I can make it fit better. Read and review! 


	14. Filling in the Pieces

Well, through receiving the shocking results of my exams, as well as going on camp, I've had an exciting week. Still, I managed to grab two hours to sit down and type like a madman, and here're my results. Chapter 13 is here, folks!

**_To my reviewers  
_**BlackChaos105: Yup, I got it. I sent you a reply too. Your character won't be coming in till a little later, but I've got some plans for him, although it might not exactly match what you have planned. Still, I suppose we can get to a compromise over emails. I've PMed you my email too, as it's frustrating having to use PM service all the time, at least for me it is. xD  
bailkatanas: I'm glad I managed to inspire someone. Mind telling me what idea it was?  
littlehomiieex3: Heh, I plan it that way. I mean, it wouldn't do to have them not in character now, would it? Here's the next chapter!  
Ruby Dragon Angel: A new reviewer! Hugz Yeah, I was surprise no one did it earlier. Or maybe they did, but I didn't pay attention. XP Anyways, I plan on bunching a whole lot of anime in here, but you guys might not have heard of some.  
Silent Blade: Kills the government There we go. XD Nah, review at your own pace. Much as I like reviews (Who doesn't?), I don't like pressuring people for them, although I like squeezing a little request at the end of each chappie. And no, I don't think Dragonball's making an appearance here. More because I've never watched it and so have no idea about what's going on than anything.

Well, that's done, so on with the story! Oh, and this is a nice long one too. Enjoy!

* * *

"Go on Kurai, tell us!" pleaded Sora as he walked on behind Kurai's tall figure. "Who was it? Who took the Queen?"

Behind him, Riku smirked. "Y'know, if you don't tell him, he's not gonna shut up."

Kurai ignored them, striding forward with long strides that ate up the distance rapidly. As the three teens jogged along behind him, they noticed they were becoming the recipients of some stares by the local population.

"Er… Kurai? Why are they all… y'know… staring at us?" murmured Kairi softly.

"Eh? Whassat?" Kurai threw over his shoulder. His silver eyes roved around, noting the numerous people standing around, just staring at them. "Heh, them? Don't worry about them. They're just curious, it's not often Rukongai gets a lot of visitors."

"Rukongai?" asked Kairi.

"Yeah, Rukongai. It means 'Wandering Soul City'. These people are all souls. They're sent here whenever a shinigami performs konsou, Soul Burial, on a Plus soul that's wandering around." Kurai tried to explain as best as he could what he knew of Soul Society.

A thought occurred to Kairi, but she was hesitant to ask it. Kurai's sharp eyes however, caught her hesitation, and he probed her for it. "What's on your mind, Kairi? You wanna ask me something?"

"Have you ever…. You know… seen _them_ here…?" she ventured timidly.

Kurai's back stiffened for a second, then he relaxed. "No…" he answered softly. "Y'see, when a Wielder dies, he or she is taken straight to Kingdom Hearts, not just their hearts. It's a reward for doing so much to try and defend the world from the Heartless all their lives. No, Kirin and Ruin are probably waiting for me in Kingdom Hearts."

"Oh…" Kairi's voice was subdued. Her hand trembled a bit. "So if any of us… died… we'd be sent there? We wouldn't be able to come here, and watch the rest of us…?"

Kurai shook his head as he walked purposefully forward. "No. You'd be sent straight to Kingdom Hearts, do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred bucks."

Turning around, he looked at their blank faces. "What? Don't you guys play Monopoly?" Seeing them shake their heads, he sighed. "Kids these days. Right, here we are, Seireitei."

The teens gasped as they faced a beautiful city, with the white towers they had seen from a distance towering above them. Sora ran ahead, but before he got very far, Kurai had disappeared from his position, grabbing him by his collar and returning back to where he stood. The sheer speed of it took Sora's breath away, but then his eyes grew round as he looked at where Kurai had just dragged him from.

Massive slabs of rock were dropping out of nowhere, crashing into place all around the city called Seireitei, forming a huge wall all around the white towers. Each thud of the stone slamming into the ground echoed all around them, and the dust thrown up had them coughing as they tried to clear their eyes. With a blast of light, Kurai's black wings appeared on his back, and he herded them into their shelter, standing with his back to the wall.

"I never did like their security measures…" he muttered. "I mean, you shouldn't have gone running in like that, but I still never did like that wall."

A black shadow blotted out the sky, and with a crashing blow, a giant of a man slammed into the ground. He was dressed slightly like Ichigo had been, but his left arm was completely covered in armour, while a jaunty cap with a tassel perched on his head. On the same side as the armoured arm, his black robes had been pulled away, revealing a massively muscled chest, and in his hand was a massive axe, adorned with golden symbols, and this was pointed straight at them.

"Ha! It's been years since someone tried to breach the Western Gate! I, Jidanbou, Guardian of the West Wall, will repel all intruders!" The booming voice was sent down from over thirty feet, the massive giant glaring down at them through squinted eyes.

As the last of the dust settled around them, Kurai spread his wings wide, sending the dust all around them spiralling upwards in a whirling tornado. Spinning around, Betrayal suddenly appeared in his hand as the remnants of a rift faded away, and he slashed around his head once in a circle, creating a shockwave of sound that blew the dust away from the three teens. He then casually propped the dragon blade on his shoulder, throwing back his hair and grinning up at the giant who called himself Jidanbou.

"Yo. It's been a while, hasn't it, Jidanbou?"

The giant's reaction was almost comical as he sprang forwards, dropping his axe as he did, kneeling on the ground and bowing repeatedly.

"Kurai-sama! It's been centuries! I am so sorry for barring your way! Please, come in, come in!" Suddenly, he stopped mid-bow. "Are these your friends, Kurai-sama?" His hand crept towards his axe.

Kurai nodded, still grinning. "Yup. These guys here are with me. We're here to see Ichigo."

"Ichigo? Oh! Right, right, go ahead!" Jidanbou stopped his hand from clenching over the haft of his axe, and he turned around, sticking his huge hands under a section of wall behind him. To Sora, Riku and Kairi, the section of wall was no different then the others, but evidently it was the Gate that Jidanbou had been valiantly protecting, as with a loud screeching sound and the smell of rusted metal, the wall started moving upwards.

As Jidanbou strained and grunted, his gigantic muscles straining, Sora saw that Kurai was grinning. Although the Wielder of Light was beginning to figure out that this was a common thing for Kurai to do, since he was constantly trying not to remind himself of the horrors he had been through, Sora's new eyes could see the faint traces of humour around the edges of the smile.

Kurai saw that Sora was looking at him, and his grin widened. "You might be wondering how I know Jidanbou. Long time ago, I was paying a visit here to see a friend of mine. Turns out that the name of the Fallen Angel had reached here, and I was blocked out. I came to this very Gate, where Jidanbou challenged me. As you might've already figured out, it didn't turn out too well for the big guy here."

Through the grunts and the puffs of breath, Jidanbou managed to speak. "He was… the second person…ever to break through me and my axes. The first was a man who called himself… the Man Slayer… and the third was Ichigo. But no one else has ever… gotten… through!"

With a final strain, the giant managed to bring the heavy gate to its highest, where he propped it up with his hands, sinking his feet deep into the ground. "Go on then, Kurai-sama."

Kurai held Betrayal before him, tip down. As he released the hilt, the black blade fell to the ground, but in slow motion. A rift opened up under it, right on the surface of the ground, and the dragon sword slipped silently through it, whereupon the rift closed.

"Y'know Jidanbou, you could've let me lift that Gate. It would've been a lot easier on both of us." Kurai strode forward, grinning as he called over the back of his shoulder at the teens. "C'mon! What else d'you need, a written invitation?"

Jidanbou grinned back at Kurai. "This is my job, Kurai-sama. I can't have other people doing my job now can I? It wouldn't have been honourable. Besides, you've beaten me once. I am honour-bound to open the door to you now."

"Actually, you should've only opened the door to me that time when I first beat you. To get you to open the door this time, I should've had to beat you again." Kurai's reply was light, almost playful as his silver eyes appraised the tall Guardian. "Oh, and stop it with the –sama. We're equals, Jidanbou."

Jidanbou laughed, a warm loud sound that belied his fearsome appearance. "If I had to fight you again, I'm not sure I would survive. You held back so much on our last encounter, yet you still beat me. That deserves the title of –sama. Besides, even if there wasn't a Gate, you'd probably rip a hole through the deathstone."

Here, Riku cut in again. "Deathstone?"

Jidanbou turned his head laboriously to face the silver-haired Wielder of Dawn. "Yes, deathstone. The wall that now surrounds the Seireitei is made out of deathstone, which saps all spiritual and physical energy. The only way to enter is through one of the four Gates. This is the West Gate. The deathstone also projects a spiritual barrier all over Seireitei, making aerial entry almost impossible."

Kurai's grin turned feral. "Until Ichigo came along, eh, Jidanbou?"

Jidanbou's face took on a pained expression, as he recalled the chaos caused by his enemy-turned-friend. "Yeah. I wonder who gave him the idea? I heard Shiba Kuukaku had a hand in it too."

Kurai shrugged. "Beats me. But it was a good old reunion for a lot of the old gang. It was nice seeing Yoruichi again too. I remember when she was still commander of the Special Forces." He shook his head. "Sorry Jidanbou, I don't have time to linger. Ichigo and Rukia are waiting for us in the Thirteenth's HQ."

Jidanbou nodded, which caused the Gate to wobble dangerously. "Right. Good luck, whatever you're doing, Kurai-sama."

Kurai laughed. "Enough with the –sama! C'mon, Sora, Riku, Kairi."

Together, the four of them walked off, and Sora's heart started to race as they passed through the massive arch of the Gate, although they passed through without incident. He was careful not to touch the walls too; He still wasn't fully recovered from the unexpected loss of Final Form before the Senkaimon, and he didn't want it to get worse.

* * *

As they passed out onto the bright sun on the other side of the Gate, they were met by a boy with light grey hair, dressed in what the teens were coming to know as the general uniform for Soul Society, but with an extra white haori with black markings, a cloak-like shirt that was open down the front, over the top. A long katana with a star-shaped crossguard was slung over his back, and his cool blue eyes flashed at Kurai from under his white bangs, his arms folded.

"Tenshi. So it _was_ your reiatsu I sensed. What're you doing here? Wherever you go, trouble follows. I suppose I'd better mobilize a meeting of Captains?"

Kurai's grin stayed put. "Hey! Toushiro! It's been a while, hasn't it? How's Rangiku and Momo?"

A vein twitched in the boy's forehead. "That's Hitsugaya-taichou to you, Tenshi. I'm a Captain, and I _will_ be treated like one." His tone, which was cool before, was positively icy now.

Kurai nodded, stepping back comically. "_Hai, hai, _Hitsugaya-taichou. Whatever you say. So, how're they?" His tone sobered. "Has Momo recovered from the incident yet?"

The boy, Hitsugaya Toushiro, glanced away, but not before Kurai caught the glint of worry in his eyes. "No, she still believes that Aizen must've been manipulated." His fist clenched. "Aizen…"

"Don't worry." Kurai's voice was soft, in a tone that Sora had only heard a few times before. "We'll get him. And I'll be laughing in his face when we do."

Hitsugaya's eyes flashed back at the tall angel, and he studied him for a moment before continuing calmly. "So why are you here, Tenshi?"

The moment over, Kurai's voice returned to the jaunty playful tone he usually used. "Oh, we've got a little meeting with Ichigo and Rukia. Wanna come along?"

Hitsugaya jerked his head in the direction of the teens. "They're not shinigami. Their reiatsu seems different. What're they doing here?"

Kurai shrugged. "They're part of it. In fact, they're the reason we put this meeting together in the first place. So, you coming or not?"

Histugaya's eyes narrowed. "I've got better things to do than sit in a meeting that'll most likely prove fruitless. Matsumoto left a huge pile of work again, and I need to find her."

Kurai shrugged again. "Suit yourself. Now if you don't mind…" He gestured at the teens.

Hitsugaya didn't say anything, turning around and walking away. Suddenly, he stopped. "If anything happens, I'll hold you responsible, Tenshi. Keep those kids of yours under control." With that, a blur of motion signalled his departure, and a blink of an eye later he was gone. Just before he left though, Sora's eyes caught the kanji on his haori: The kanji for ten emblazoned on his back.

"Heh, frosty as ever." Kurai laughed as he gestured for the teens to follow him.

"Who was that kid, Kurai?" Kairi asked. Her round blue eyes were fixed on the spot where he had disappeared. "He seemed really sad…"

"Hitsugaya Toushiro. Don't call him a kid; he's around a thousand years old. A boy genius, Captain of the Tenth Division, he's reached a power level too high too fast. He can't really control his Bankai, although he's getting better. In fact, I think he might've done away with his limiters by now." Kurai replied. "As for sad… well… someone that we suspect he's in love with has gone completely round the bend. She's been bewitched, kinda, to put it in terms you might understand. Complete hypnotism would be a better term though."

Sora's ears caught one word. "Bankai? Just what exactly is that?" He walked over before Kurai and planted himself there, hands on hips.

Kurai sighed and shook his head. "You're really impatient, you know that? We're gonna explain as much as we can once we reach the Headquarters of the Thirteenth Division."

"And how long is it going to take?" asked Riku.

Kurai considered for a moment, then asked, "Depends. Do you wanna go there express or conventional?"

The three teens looked at each other, nodded, then said in unison, "Express."

With a whirl of wind, Kurai caught all three of them up on his back and was flying along the paths, passing numerous people walking along, leaving them with stunned looks on their faces as they felt a faceless wind whip past them. Up a stairway, then up onto a roof, flying across the courtyard, leaping down another flight of stairs, within seconds, the teens found themselves completely lost as Kurai ran purposefully towards a destination that only he out of the four knew.

Suddenly, they came to a stop. Kurai lifted them down, where they stood for a moment, braced against the walls, as they tried to regain their balance from Kurai's flight. Vaguely, they noticed they were inside a room, warmly lit and full of people.

"Hey, you asked for it." Kurai laughed out loud at the antics of his three charges.

"Shut up," Riku shot at Kurai. "At least warn us next time."

"I see he took you here using his version of shunpo."

The voice came from behind them, and the three teens turned, heads still whirling, to face the speaker. Ichigo stood there, his hair a blaze of orange, dressed in the same garb they had seen him in earlier, with the exception of one thing: the white haori draped over his body.

"What?! You never told me you were captain now!" Kurai strode forward, grabbing Ichigo by his shoulders, while the orange-haired man squirmed to be free. "When was this? Who promoted you? Where's Juushiro?"

"I'm still here, Kurai. It's been a long time, Fallen Angel."

The speaker was suddenly cut short by a fit of coughing, and the teens turned to face the tall man with a shock of pure white hair that came down below his shoulders, smiling at them despite a small trickle of blood coming down the edge of his mouth.

"Juushiro! Get back into your seat! There's no need to rise to greet us!" Kurai released Ichigo, who looked slightly grateful, and a blur of speed later, he was helping the man sit down in a chair that was placed at the head of a long table. "How's the tuberculosis? Getting better?" His tone was concerned.

The man, Ukitake Juushiro, laughed him off. "I've been worse, Kurai. And no, Ichigo isn't Captain of the Thirteenth. I still am, although I doubt I'll be as fit as I ever was… No, he's been promoted to Captain of the Fifth."

"I never asked for it. They pushed the dang position onto me." Ichigo sulked from where he was slouched into a seat on the sick man's right. Opposite him, the short woman from earlier scowled at him. "Mind your manners, Ichigo! They're guests!"

Next to her, a man dressed in a pink haori over the traditional black robes and wearing a straw hat that shaded his unkempt hair and face yawned. "Can we just get on with it? I wanna see how this'll turn out."

"Nobody asked you to come, taicho!" The woman standing behind him slapped the back of his head with a paper fan, scowling almost exactly like Rukia. "You were the one who wanted to come!"

"Now now, Nanao-chan. Calm down. I was just interested in the mad scheme that Ichigo here has come up with. I'm sure Old Man Yama wouldn't mind." The casual reply didn't fool Sora, whose eyes flashed through the room and saw the keen eyes that surveyed the room quietly, storing details and seeing through the slight nuances of meaning in body language in the room. "So, now that they're here, why don't we start?"

"Shunsui! You're here too! This is starting to make me feel nostalgic…" Kurai pretended to wipe a tear from his eye, and Sora was suddenly struck by how similar the two men were, hiding great power behind a façade of coolness and playfulness. He could see the ripple of muscles beneath the deceiving pink robes as the man, Kyoraku Shunsui, Captain of the Eight Division, stretched and yawned again, his improved sight searing through the illusions that were placed on him.

"Oi, Ichigo. Is this the guy you were talking about? He doesn't seem like much." The blunt remark came from near the back of the room, and the trio whirled around the face the speaker, retorts ready. But at the sight of the man who had said that, they quailed.

A brute of a man, hair gelled back in a manner that would've looked comical on anyone else, sat reclining on the chair, one eye covered in an eye patch, the other gazing straight at Sora. His haori was ripped and torn, and the scars on his body were easily seen on his face and through the rips in his clothing. The hilt of a sword could be seen through the open front of the haori, and this suddenly struck Sora, who subtly turned his head to observe everyone in the room.

Of them all, only the woman standing behind Kyoraku, Ise Nanao, as well as the teens and Kurai had no weapon, and everyone else had a sword of some kind, with Ichigo's easily being the biggest, while the rest of them seemed to be wielding katanas whose only difference were in the crossguards, and Kyoraku seemed to be the only one who had two swords instead of one.

Suddenly, a small child, even younger than Hitsugaya, with a head of bright pink hair, appeared on the shoulder of the war-torn man. She was dressed in the identical black garb of the World, shrunk down to fit her size, and a sheathed katana was being dragged along behind her with small wheels attached to the back of the sheath, held by a cord that was joined to the crossguard in one end, and held in her hand by the other.

"Ken-chan! Are these the guys Ichi was talking about? They don't seem like much, are you gonna fight them?"

Zaraki Kenpachi, Captain of the Eleventh Division, battle Division of Seireitei, shrugged. "Who knows. There's something strange about his reiatsu though, or what I can sense of it. Can't place it."

Ukitake coughed twice, which got everyone's attention. "Well, now that we're all here, why don't we brief Sora and his friends about what we plan to do? Who knows, he might even be able to help defeat Aizen."

"Hang on," interjected Sora. "Who's this Aizen person? You guys mind filling us in?"

Ukitake glanced at Ichigo, who shrugged, then at Kurai, who nodded. "I'll let Kurai tell you what happened."

Kurai stepped forward, the tall man easily equalling Zaraki in height, as well as in bulk. "Well, it all began when a Hollow attacked Ichigo's house…"

* * *

No cliffies this time, same as last time. BUT, there will be one coming in the next one! Or there MIGHT be... I dunno, we'll see. Grins evilly Please review...?


	15. He Who Lives Within

Well, I overcame a bit of writer's block and got this done, so enjoy!

_**To my reviewers**  
The Elven-Spear_: Yo, it's been a while. xD Thanks for reviewing!  
_BlackChaos105_: Yup, I got it, and the discussion is interesting. I'll reply ASAP, but my mind's pretty tired right now, so don't expect a reply too soon.  
_Shire Folk_: Y'know, some of you guys still don't seem to have gotten this around your head yet: I don't plan. xD It's called spontaneous writing. But yes, I'm happy with the direction it's going in even though it wasn't what I'd thought it'd go, and thanks for reviewing!  
_bailkatanas_: Yeah, I think I got it. A little sub-conscious prodding there. As for cliffies... Hmm... You'll get one soon enough.  
_littlehomiieex3_: You'll be waiting for a while yet, since I don't plan on giving this baby up! Here's chap 15, and 16's on its way!

* * *

"Woah…" murmured Sora when they had finished. "That's a lot of stuff…" 

Riku, who had been listening with a furrowed brow, nodded once, not saying anything. Kairi, who had listened with a hand to her mouth and her eyes wide, could only manage a small squeak. Compared to these guys, the defeat of Ansem and Xemnas didn't seem so huge, although they all still knew that it was more important than what the people present have done. Yet listening to them, they couldn't help marvel at the feats that they had all, Ichigo in particular, achieved.

"So this Bankai thing… It's the strongest thing you guys have in this world?" asked Sora curiously.

Ichigo looked away at this point, but only Sora, Kurai, Rukia and Riku caught it. Sora opened his mouth to address him, but was cut short by a sharp prod by Kurai, who was standing behind him.

"Yes, it is. Or at least, there are higher powers, like what Aizen has gone to seek, but we of Soul Society frown upon them. We call them Vizards and Arrancars, abominations of nature. You've heard about them in our stories: Ichigo went up against them more than once." Ukitake's reply was sad rather than degrading, which wasn't what Sora expected. "The boundary between a shinigami and a Hollow is strong, but not impenetrable. People like Aizen, Tousen and Gin have gone to breach it, and it bodes ill."

"Yeah well, let's not talk about that. So, the point of this meeting. Sora, Riku, Kairi, we're gonna teach you Bankai. Least we can do to repay Kurai for helping to repel the Hollow Influx we had some fifty years back." Ichigo cut through the conversation, glancing at Sora.

Suddenly, it clicked in Sora's head, why Ichigo had changed the subject, why he had looked away. He was a vizard as well, one of the 'abominations' Ukitake had stated. His eyes widened as he suddenly realized just how powerful Ichigo was. Surpassing even Bankai, he had reached a new level of power, one that Soul Society feared. Even his Bankai was different, instead of immense power in the form of massive blades; his compressed the massive power that his shikai, the initial release, the giant blade he called Zangetsu, already wielded into a long black blade similar to Betrayal, which allowed him to reach speeds undreamed of by most people. Coupled with the power that the melding of the shinigami and Hollow sides of him produced, the Vizard power that he could tap into, this elevated his strength to one of the greatest in Soul Society.

His only weak point was his lack of proper training, as well as a tendency to rush headlong into situations. Now that he was close to overcoming it, Soul Society's greatest legend was firmly established, and it would take a lot to dislodge him. Revealing that he was a vizard would've knocked him down as far as to exile him, and although losing his seat wouldn't bother him too much, the thought that he might not be able to see Rukia again made him avoid mentioning it when he was telling Sora about his part in the history of Soul Society.

Ukitake nodded, oblivious to Sora's new revelation. "The only problem is that since you three don't even have shikai, nor even proper zanpakutous, it would be very hard, if not nigh on impossible."

To everyone's surprise, Kurai stepped in. "The zanpakutou part wouldn't be a problem. Long ago, when Kirin was experimenting with all sorts of stuff, we discovered that Keyblades were actually sentient. Of course, most of the time, they were… _asleep_, for lack of a better word. But how did you think you could summon them from anywhere? Or bring them back to you from far away?" He grinned at the three teens.

Kyoraku shifted, causing everyone to glance at him. Sora had gained even more respect for him, as well as for the frail Ukitake, after hearing about how the two of them faced off against one of the strongest shinigami alive, the Captain of the First Division, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigenkuni, the Commander-General of Seireitei, and wielder of the oldest and most powerful zanpakutou, Ryuujin Jakka. "That helps, Kurai. But their reiatsu is different. How would we know if our methods would work?"

"That's where I come in."

The soft voice caused everyone to whirl around to where a man was lounging against the wall in a corner, unseen by any of them. He was dressed in what looked like the typical shinigami robes, only instead of black; his was a dark olive green. A white hat with green stripes shaded his eyes, making them look as though there were dark circles around them, and a fan rested in his left hand, contrasted with a cane in his right. On his feet were wooden sandals, the type that was traditional to Japan, the geta of ancient times.

Kurai's face split wide open in a grin. "Kisuke! How long have you been there? I couldn't sense your reiatsu!"

Urahara Kisuke waved his fan in a self-detracting motion. "Well, a little lowly shopkeeper such as myself wouldn't have much of a reiatsu for you to sense, Kurai-san!"

Ukitake chuckled. "Urahara-san, we all know you were the previous Captain of the Twelfth Division, Founder and First Head of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, inventor of the untraceable gigai for which you got exiled, and maker of the Tenshintai doll that allows Bankai in three days. There's no need for modesty."

Sora's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the man, and unknown to him, his irises slitted until they looked much like a cat… or a dragon. Taking in details most other wouldn't notice, Sora saw the tension in the man's limbs in case he had to move quickly, the way his eyes, although currently focused on Ukitake, took in the numerous details around him, and overall, the aura of power that exuded from him.

'If this is the power of the good guys, and they still haven't beaten this Aizen guy…' He shivered slightly at the thought.

Suddenly, he felt Urahara's eyes on him. Looking up, he stared into brown eyes that regarded him studiously, much like how one studies an experiment, although there was also a kindness and humanity in Urahara's eyes that was absent in most other's.

"So… you're Sora, are you? Yes, I can see why they think it might be a problem… Your reiatsu, spirit energy in other words, is slightly different to ours, but it's similar enough that we might be able to circumvent it." Urahara's eyes skipped over Riku and Kairi, absorbing their images and spiritual signatures, then his eyes returned to Sora. "Hmm… your reiatsu is even stranger than I thought. It's almost as though you had the reiatsu of two people inside you." His eyes returned to Kairi, studying her as well. "Your friend as well…"

Sora's eyes widened. Could it be Roxas? He had thought the merging with his Somebody would cause his Nobody to vanish, but this Urahara seemed to be able to sense him. To give him extra credit, he seemed to be ranked very high among the shinigami.

Kairi, on the other hand, was feeling rather anxious as the dark brown eyes of the shinigami probed her own sapphire ones. They seemed to sweep aside all her own masks and fears, seeing straight into her soul, where _someone _dwelled. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

Riku was by her side in an instant, as was Sora, who had been snapped out of his own reverie. "Kairi, what's wrong?" As one, they turned to face the green swathed man who calmly surveyed them.

The various shinigami sitting around the table watching the proceedings silently all ticked something off in their mental checklists as they saw the reflexes of the two teens. Whatever they were, two of them at least were battle ready, and the way their silver and aqua eyes surveyed the Head of the Research and Development Department told the battle-worn death gods that these two weren't teens to be trifled with.

But a hand gripping Sora's arm tightly soon distracted the brown-haired teen from glaring at the shinigami. Turning, he was caught off guard by solid orbs holding liquid marine, and he found he had to stop and catch his breath for a moment, before he could focus on what she was saying.

"Namine… Sora… he's talking about Namine… isn't he? And Roxas… Roxas and Namine! They aren't gone!" Her eyes seemed to be torn somewhere between relief, hope and fear, and Sora found himself caught up in the storm of her emotions.

Watching him, Ichigo gave Rukia a quick sideways glance, and noticed to his surprise that she was watching him as well, her blue eyes flashing across the darkish room to pierce his hazel ones. Kurai's silver eyes saw the exchange, as well as Sora and Kairi's, and he grinned. 'They'll figure it out soon enough.'

Suddenly, Ichigo stood up, his hand flying to the hilt of the immense zanpakutou on his back, his eyes narrowed and alert. His sudden motion caught the attention of the entire room, and they turned as one, hands flying to the hilt of their weapons, Zaraki even drawing his long ragged-looking blade entirely. The three teens steeped into a battle formation, with Kairi behind Riku and Sora, but they didn't summon their keyblades yet; not until the first sign of a Heartless.

"Ichigo, what is it?" Rukia shot at the tall Captain quietly.

"Listen."

His reply caused everyone to close their eyes, enhancing the rest of their senses with the loss of one, and within moments, they heard it. The sharp sound of wood striking wood, the alarm of Seireitei.

Ukitake's eyes opened wide. "Someone's breaking in!"

* * *

There we go! Cliffy! Who is it? Who would break into the sacred white walls of the White City, to face the wrath of the death gods who reside within? Find out in the next chapter of... Kingdom Blades! Please review...? 


	16. Bankai

WHOO! I had a blast of a time writing this chapter in one sitting! This ends on a pretty big cliffy, so I hope you guys like it!

**To my reviewers:  
**Shire Folk: And death will come. Gondor will prevail, as will Seireitei. As the White Wizard comes from the West, so shall the Fallen Angel raise his blade. Hope you like this chappie, Shire Folk!  
The Elven-Spear: I... er... will take that as a compliment...?  
bailkatanas: Yes, wherever that guy is, you can expect things to happen, and drastically. Hope this meets up to your expectations!  
Silent Blade: Don't worry, I'm not pressuring you to review, although I'd like you to. xD Thanks anyways!  
littlehomiieex3: Who's breaking in? Who else? Read on!

On with the chappy!

* * *

Reiatsu swirled around the room, concentrating around Ichigo, but in the split second before he shunpo-ed away, Rukia called out, "Wait!" 

Shunpo was the term used for the near instantaneous mode of travel the shinigami use, especially the higher levelled ones. It involved concentrating reiatsu, spirit energy, around the user's feet, which can be used to propel the user great distances at very high speed, close to actual teleportation. Flash stepping was another name for it, and Ichigo was well-known among Soul Society for being one of the best flash steppers, third only to the Captain of the Sixth Division Kuchiki Byakuya, and previous Commander of the Special Forces Shihoin Yoruichi.

Ichigo stopped, turning a furrowed brow to Rukia. "What?!" he asked impatiently. "I gotta go!"

"Have you forgotten, _bakamono_?! You're a captain now! When the alarm sounds, you've got to report to the Commander-General! _Bakamono_!"

Even after witnessing it once already, the three teens still couldn't get over the fact that a woman of below average height was able to cow the tall Captain into submission. Judging by the faces of some of the people in the room, they probably weren't the only ones.

"Alright already!" Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck, releasing the hilt of Zangetsu and sighing. "Damn responsibilities."

Ukitake chuckled as he rose from his chair, and laughed when he saw a certain spike-haired battle-torn Captain grumbling in a similar manner. "We Captains don't fight until we have no choice. It's a sign of our power that we are reserved for the rare cases that one of our subordinates fail to subjugate the target."

Kyoraku rose and stretched, then tucked his arms inside the sleeves of his pink haori. 'Well, let's get going shall we?" He turned to the woman standing behind him. "Nanao-chan, would you mind organising the Eighth Division to their battle stations while I'm at the meeting? The last time we were infiltrated, Ichigo really did a number on us."

Ichigo grinned. "Well, at least me and the others showed you guys a few weak spots in your defence." The orange haired captain had 'sneaked' into Seireitei about fifty years back, although sneak wasn't really the right word for the immense chaos they had caused.

"Don't you guys have somewhere to be right now? I'm gonna go see if I can take a few potshots at whoever's coming." The angel grinned, his smile almost a mirror image of the bloodthirsty one that could be occasionally found on the face of the Captain of the Eleventh Division.

Ichigo glared at Kurai. "Don't rub it in."

As one, the four Captains in the room shunpo-ed away, as well as Nanao and Yachiru, who was as usual riding on Zaraki's left shoulder. The teens glanced around. The only ones left were themselves, Urahara, who was smiling softly as he fanned himself with his fan, Rukia, who was sitting in her chair and looking worriedly at the ground, and Kurai, whose grin was still on his face.

"Urahara, I'll leave these guys to you, that alright? I'm gonna take a quick look around at the place. You of all people should know how much a place can change in a matter of decades." The mysterious warrior swung his hand down, a dark portal summoning the black dragon blade into his hand. Hefting Betrayal easily onto his shoulder, he nodded once, then vanished, without even the reiatsu that had billowed through the room when the captains had answered the summons.

Rukia stood up, her face still etched with a worried frown. "I have to go organize the Thirteenth Division. Urahara, if you hurt them, you'll have Ichigo breathing down your ass." She turned narrow blue eyes at the green-clad shinigami.

Urahara laughed, still fanning himself with his fan. "I wouldn't _dream_ of harming my customers, Kuchiki-san. So long as they pay, of course."

Sora looked alarmed. "I don't have any money…" he muttered.

Urahara laughed again. "Money isn't the only thing in the world. Of course, it's still very important. No, the price will be taken out of Kurosaki-kun's tab. He's agreed to it, naturally."

Sora nodded, still standing protectively in front of Kairi. "So, where are we going to go now?" His blue eyes bore into Urahara's dark ones. "To learn this Bankai thing?"

Urahara nodded, still smiling. "I have just the place. Follow me." Turning around, his olive green robes billowing out behind him, he strode off, motioning for the teens to follow. Rukia nodded as well, then shunpo-ed off.

The teens glanced at each other, then followed, Sora leading, Kairi behind him, and Riku walking behind, keeping Kairi in the middle in case of an ambush. They didn't say anything, their eyes flashing and communicating their thoughts soundlessly, years of being best friends granting them near telepathy.

Suddenly, a familiar haunting screech shattered the fragile peace of Seireitei, followed by a massive explosion. Urahara never paused, if anything, his pace quickened. "Hurry. Menos Grande's have appeared. I imagine the Captains have been dispatched. I've suspected this ever since I felt a dark reiatsu hovering around the edge of Karakura."

Glancing up, the teens gasped as their eyes beheld a monstrous entity, tall and foreboding, shrouded in smoke and flame, with skin that resembled nothing so much as black cloth, and their faces being made completely out of some strange white clay-like substance, or maybe porcelain, but far stronger. Eyes that seemed to stare into their souls flitted from target to target, and it opened its mouth, a large ball of concentrated energy that seemed to be drawn from nowhere, a swirling ball of black and purple forming.

Exhaling sharply with another haunting cry, it shot the ball to strike at a tall white tower, tallest of all in Soul Society, the Shrine of Penitence, where criminals among the shinigami were sentenced to gaze upon the tool of their execution for thirty days, the dreaded Sokyouku. The black ball distended, forming into a thin beam of energy that slammed into the top of the tower. Another massive explosion occurred, but this time, there was no smoke. A familiar roar shook the air, and they saw a black figure on the tower, tall, with majestic black wings, as his upraised hand took the force of the blow and direct it away from him.

"Kurai…" whispered Sora.

"Hurry. We must get you to the Training Cavern. It is there that you three will achieve Bankai. Only then will you be able to face off against the Gillians that will be swarming us soon." Urahara had turned, sensing that his charges were no longer following him. "We must hurry. If you please, Sora-san, Kairi-san, Riku-san?"

A second figure appeared next to the tall figure with the black wings, dressed in white over black. A massive sword was raised against the Menos, large enough that they could see it clearly even at this distance, and it was swung down, a massive blast of white energy roaring out to strike the menacing monster they were facing. A shout carried on the wind.

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

To the teens' horror, the Menos' mask was merely cracked, not destroyed as they had expected. Another blast of energy was expelled from the monster's mouth, which Kurai, leaping forward, redirected away.

Urahara sighed and snapped his fingers. The surprised teens didn't even get a chance to protest as they found themselves unable to move or speak. "I'm sorry for this discourteous action, but we must hurry."

Suddenly, from behind Urahara, a massive shadow appeared, towering over the ex-shinigami. Sora tried to cry out, but being unable to move, could only stare wildly with his eyes, trying frantically to get the shopkeeper's attention. Which explained why he was struck dumb when Urahara casually turned around and gestured at them, looking straight at the shadow.

"Tessai, get them to the Cavern. Where's Yoruichi?"

A large man, dressed in an apron and a tight white shirt that did nothing to hide his bulging muscles, yet wearing a pair of glasses which nearly made Kairi giggle if she hadn't been petrified both literally and by fear, stepped out from behind Urahara, moving noiselessly to the teens. Bowing low, he said, "I am sorry for this, but should the master requests you do something, it would be appreciated if you did it, or at least gave him a respectable reason why you wouldn't."

He then turned back to Urahara. "Yoruichi-sama is waiting in the Cavern, with three Tenshintai dolls, as you requested, master."

Urahara nodded once. "I will meet you at the cavern. Come with all haste." He was no longer smiling, not even looking at them, his eyes on the hulking figure of the Menos and the explosions that occurred whenever an attack made contact with another, or on something else.

Sora's eyes narrowed again, and the yellow hue and slitted irises returned, and he saw again the strength of the man who had so easily disabled the teens. Conflicting auras of red and green whirled around the man, concentrated so tightly that no one else could feel it. Yet Sora knew that with but a thought, Urahara could send the auras exploding out, and the sheer power of them could overpower most lesser shinigami, although not Captain level.

Suddenly, the teens found themselves being lifted up. Tessai, the huge man, slung Sora over his shoulder, holding Riku and Kairi in his heavily muscled arms and nodding at Urahara, who nodded once, then vanished, a swirl of reiatsu being the only sign that someone had been in his spot recently. A split second later and they were flying across the paths, the sheer speed of shunpo blinding them temporarily.

In the blink of an eye, they had arrived. An enormous empty cavern with a collection of cliffs, covered in slight yellow dust, with a small spring in the corner of the empty space. In the large clearing in the middle of the cavern, a lithe woman of average height stood, clad in tight body-clinging clothes, long purple hair tied in a ponytail; skin the colour of coffee, a feline grace endowing her body as she gazed at the three teens with yellow cat-like eyes. Next to her, three dolls stood, shaped like training dummies, without arms or legs.

"Oi, Kisuke. What took you so long?" she shouted over the distance.

"Menos."

Kisuke's single word caused her eyes to narrow, and she vanished from her spot, reappearing before the teens in the space of a hummingbird's wingflap. The teens gasped at her sheer speed as she gazed at them, running her eyes over them and then turning to look questioningly at Urahara. "A Menos Grande? Here, in Soul Society?" Her eyes were narrowed until she looked more lion-like than cat-like, her face set.

"Relax. Kurai-san came with these three, as I'm sure you know, and he and Kurosaki-kun should be able to hold them off, unless more come, and then there're the other Captains. In fact, Kuchiki-taichou hasn't even stepped up yet!" Kisuke's answer seemed light-hearted, yet the woman could sense the deep worry under his undertones.

"What if more come?" she asked.

Urahara sobered up. "That's why we have to get these three in shape before that. Hitsugaya-kun was right, these Menos' don't seem to be acting normally, they wouldn't dare attack Soul Society normally. I fear the hand of someone behind this…" He sighed. "Yoruichi, we might have to try and break them if we can't get them in working order before the Menos totally overrun Seireitei."

The woman, Shihouin Yoruichi, the Goddess of Flash, the fastest person in all of Soul Society, nodded once. "The Captains plus Kurai should be able to hold them off for three days, as long as the Menos don't keep up a concentrated attack."

Urahara shook his head as Tessai disappeared, after bowing once to Urahara. "Three days won't do, Yoruichi. We have to get them ready within a day, two at maximum."

Yoruichi's eyes opened wide. "No way! Even Ichigo took three days, and you know how his reiatsu is off the charts! These guys here don't even have normal reiatsu. Given time, they might be able to reach Bankai, but in one day, that's impossible!"

Urahara's face took on a small smile as he hid his face under his fan again. Yoruichi's yellow eyes bore into his as she stepped up to poke his finger into his stomach. "Spill it."

Urahara rubbed his stomach, looking affronted. "My dear Yoruichi, I created the Tenshintai. Nothing is impossible."

For a split second, Urahara released his control of the swirling aura around him, quickly forcing it under his control again the minute he released it. But that was enough. The wave of power that emanated from him renewed the confidence everyone had, and Yoruichi nodded, turning to the teens, who had been silently watching the two of them, who reminded them a lot of Ichigo and Rukia. "You guys, get over here. Fast."

With that, she disappeared, reappearing where she had been standing when they had first arrived. The three teens looked at each other, then Sora shrugged. "C'mon." Together, they started running, only to hit the ground as Urahara's cane shot out, tripping all three of them.

"Nuh-uh. We're going to teach you guys how to use shunpo. First, concentrate your energies around your feet." Urahara demonstrated, a whirling blue aura surrounding his feet, visible even to Kairi and Riku.

"How?" asked Kairi, who looked utterly confused. Riku didn't say anything, his keen silver eyes merely surveying Urahara intently.

Sora was about to voice his own confusion as well, when he heard something in his mind, or more to the point, some_one_. "_You're kidding me, Sora. It's just like using your Forms! Concentrate, then let it flow down to your feet. Go on."_

'What the…?' Sora's face must've mis-communicated his surprised thought, for the whirling blue aura around Urahara's feet disappeared as he struck his head in dismay.

"You three can't even control your reiatsu? I'm going to have to charge Kurosaki-kun extra for th–"

To his surprise, as well as Kairi's and Riku's, a blast of white light lit Sora up, and for a brief moment, Final Form super-imposed itself over the Wielder of Light, before fading away. When the light dispersed, a whirling maelstrom of white energy was whipping up the dust around his feet, his eyes closed and his forehead furrowed as he concentrated.

"Woah…" murmured Kairi. Riku unfolded his arms as he gazed at his best friend, a small smirk playing around his mouth. 'Showoff.' He wasn't the only one either.

"_Showoff. Can't do anything without being a drama queen?"_

'Roxas…?' Sora ventured in his mind.

"_No, it's your mother. Who else?" _For a second, the image of a grinning ex-Organization XIII member passed through Sora's mind. _"Anyways, get your mind back on the job. We can catch up later."_

Sora shook himself mentally out of his daze to find Kairi gazing worriedly at him. "Sora? Are you alright?" She placed her hand softly on Sora's forehead, and he felt his body heat up as he stared down into her cerulean eyes.

"_Hey, quit staring. There's a battle going on. Wait till _after_ the battle, _then_ snog her."_ Roxas' voice rang out in his mind, deepening his blush as he moved his mouth frantically, yet didn't manage to make a sound as he continued to feel her hand on his head.

Riku decided to 'save' his best friend, although Sora would later claim that he had been possessed by Ansem again. Moving silently behind the brown-haired teen, he gave him a discreet yet hard poke in the small of his back, sending him falling forwards onto Kairi, pressing her into the ground with his body.

For a second no one moved, Urahara turning away with a sly grin on his face, Yoruichi waiting silently, yet with a huge smile, and Riku smirking down at Sora and Kairi, who were both rapidly turning the colour of her wine-red hair.

Sora leapt up, scooting backwards, throwing Riku a death glare as the silver-haired teen glanced away, whistling innocently. The tall Wielder of Dawn stepped casually forward, reaching out a hand that Kairi took hesitantly as he pulled her to her feet.

"You alright Kairi?" He glanced back at Sora and grinned. "Sora's getting clumsy, isn't he?"

Sora's eyes blazed as he gave Riku an 'I'll-deal-with-you-later' look. Riku did a mock bow, which only served to infuriate Sora even more.

"Now now kids, play nice." Urahara's fan was hiding his mouth as usual, but his eyes betrayed him, dancing with mischief. "Right, Sora-kun's managed to control his reiatsu somewhat. Kairi-san, Riku-kun, if you two would please?"

Riku sighed and snapped his fingers. Black energy instantly pooled around his feet, whipping in and out from the ground, the darkness sapping all light from around it.

"How didja do that?" enquired Sora, surprised that Riku could do it so easily.

Riku shrugged. "I'm the one who throws out barriers and stuff out of pure darkness. It's easy once you know how."

Kairi raised one eyebrow. "And how did you learn how?"

"Well, when Sora, Donald and Goofy were sleeping for a year, I wasn't exactly lying around on my backside doing nothing. Took me around a month to learn how to manipulate darkness, perfecting it took the rest of the year."

Kairi sighed. "So I'm the only one who has no clue what to do?"

Sora shook his head. "I've got no idea how I did it too." He glanced down at his feet, which were devoid of light. "All I know is that I concentrate, like when I'm switching into a Form… and then…" Light sprang out all around his feet, contrasting sharply with Riku's darkness, yet the two of them seemed to co-exist happily, neither trying to outdo the other.

Urahara stepped respectfully back, fanning himself slowly. Yoruichi, seeing the blasts of light and darkness that erupted around Sora and Riku, knew that there was one more to go, and waited patiently.

Suddenly, a huge explosion shook the cavern, and a feeling of immense pressure came, so great that it was suffocating the teens. Dimly, their minds registered the roar and crackling of immense flames, but they felt their consciousness ebbing away, like a falling tide as they fell to their knees, Kairi curled up on her side, her eyes wide open in horror. Through the ceiling, they heard a voice, old as the very mountains, yet trembling with power.

"Banshou issai kaijin to nase, Ryuujin Jakka."

In a flash, Yoruichi was by their sides. "Kisuke! Release your reiatsu! Yamamoto has started fighting!"

Urahara's face became one of total seriousness, and suddenly, the teens felt another blast of power, concentrated and tightly controlled, yet sufficient enough to lessen the force of the pressure that was pressing down on the three Wielders.

Coughing, Riku stood back up, the darkness around his feet dispersed by the massive force. "What _was_ that?"

Sora got up as well, holding his head, which was aching. Walking slowly to Kairi, he helped her to her feet, their previous embarrassment forgotten. Turning back to the two ex-shinigami, his eyes shot questions at them, although he didn't say anything.

Urahara's face remained grim. "A Vasto Lorde has come."

Yoruichi's eyes widened, then she closed her eyes, and a yellow aura surrounded her, blasting out until it reached the ceiling of the cavern, where it suddenly stopped and was flung back, black tendrils smoking at the edges as she fell to her knees. "Im… Impossible…"

"Who's Yamamoto…? And what's a Vasto Lorde…?" Sora voiced, almost afraid to speak.

"Yamamoto Genryusai-Shigenkuni, one of the greatest shinigami alive. Captain of the First Division, Commander-General of Soul Society, wielder of the oldest and most powerful Fire zanpakutou, boasting the highest attacking power of all zanpakutou in Soul Society, Ryuujin Jakka." Urahara's eyes were closed now, and his hand strayed to the handle of the cane that was slung at his side.

"A Vasto Lorde, stronger than a Captain, strongest of the Hollows, composed of more than ten thousand Hollows. Ten of them are enough to destroy all of Soul Society." Yoruichi stood slowly back up, sweat pouring off her lean body. "Kisuke! We've got to get moving! Let them learn shunpo while they're attaining Bankai!"

Urahara nodded. To the teen's surprise, he pulled on the curved handle of his cane, sliding it out, revealing a long thin sword hidden in the body of the cane. Slinging the empty wooden sheath back onto his belt, he disappeared, reappearing by the three dolls that lay on the ground. He said only one word. "Come."

Sora and Riku glanced at each other, and with a nod, white and black light sprung up around their feet. Turning to look at Yoruichi, she understood. "Imagine, visualize. Your reiatsu will carry you up, then disappear, reappearing where you wish to be. It will drain you, but after getting used to it, you will not even notice the drain."

Riku grinned. "So it's basically like mine. Only I create a portal to move. Right Sora, let's get this Bankai thing done." He reached out one hand, which Sora clasped. "Deal."

The two of them then turned back to Kairi. She nodded, although sweat still ran down her face from the pressure they had been subject to before Urahara interfered. "How?" Was all she said.

"Focus." Sora and Riku spoke almost as one, light and dark mingling as the three of them, connected with a bond forged by Kingdom Hearts itself, revealed the power they were capable of. "Call. Shape. Pool. Imagine. Visualize."

Urahara's eyes were narrowed as he surveyed the three teens, nearly oblivious to his and Yoruichi's presence. It was eerie, in a way, how the three, after going through perils greater than most people their age have, perils that most people wouldn't have even thought imaginable, could forge a bond so strong that he doubt even the Sokyouku could break. Watching the two Wielders speak in synchronization just added to the spooky air that was starting to whip through the cavern.

Somewhere in the back of his always alert mind, he noticed that he could not feel Yamamoto's reiatsu except as a small buzz. Exploring it further, he found that there was some sort of blanket around the area, the sources of which were the three Wielders of Light, Love and Dawn. It stifled the reiatsu of both him and the Commander-General, and he resolved that it would make for a superb gigai, a fake body that a shinigami enters to be visible to normal humans, if he could get ahold of the power.

Suddenly, the blanket disappeared, and Yamamoto's reiatsu hammered back onto them. Only this time, the three teens didn't flinch. They disappeared in a blast of white, black and red, reappearing next to Urahara where he stood with the dolls. A flash of multi-coloured light lit up the cavern, and five keyblades plunged into the three dolls, Oathkeeper and Oblivion in one, Way to the Dawn in another, and two new keyblades in the last one. Three mouths opened to say two syllables, the very word ringing through the cavern.

"**BANKAI.**"

* * *

I'm still on a high from writing that. It felt awesome, since I was playing the scene out in my head, and... well... just wow. I love it, and I'm the author! Please review! 

Oh, and for those who're interested, '_Banshou issai kaijin to nase' _means 'Reduce the whole of creation to smouldering ashes'. Fitting for the immense strength of the fiery zanpakutou. It'll be seen in action sometime in the next few chapters!


	17. Keyblade's Secret

Sugar, chocolate and Pepsi all in one go resulted in me sitting in front of a computer for around three hours straight, typing furiously. Here're the results!

**To my reviewers:  
**BlackChaos105: Aww... you really should've read Bleach. I was hoping that I wouldn't have any spoilers to spoil and that most people've already read it, but Bleach is one of the most awesome anime ever produced, you should totally watch it.  
Silent Blade: All in good time my friend, all in good time. Threaten me again and I will never update. Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Ougi, Ama Kakeru Ryu no Hirameki.  
Shire Folk: Yeah, I fixed that bit. Sorry 'bout that, it was one of the more adrenaline-rushed moments. They need more life-threatening things in their life now don't they? As for Namine, she might... but she'd be a little more... subtle than that. xD  
bailkatanas: I wonder why it was funny...? Ah well, glad you liked it, and hope you like this chapter!

* * *

A blast of light, white, black and red intermingled roared up around the trio, blasting out and forcing Urahara to shunpo next to Yoruichi where she stood watching the Wielders. "Well, they can always put up a good light show, can't they, Yoruichi-san?"

Yoruichi stood still, arms crossed, a slight frown on her face, her purple ponytail flapping in the wind generated by the Destiny Island trio. "Who _are_ they, Kisuke? Their reiatsu might not be the same as ours, nor may they be individually as high as Ichigo's, but when the three of them are together, I think their combined reiatsu might be higher…"

Urahara smiled slightly, shifting the long blade he held so that the tip touched the ground. "Might be? Yoruichi-san, that's an understatement. They _are_ stronger than Kurosaki-kun when they're all together."

* * *

Within the coloured light, Sora leapt back, Oathkeeper and Oblivion whirling in a white and black blur around him, his eyes shining with a white glow that hid his aqua depths. Before him, two figures sprouted, the Tenshintai that he had stabbed his keyblades into splitting into two, forming into separate beings.

One was a woman who looked startlingly like Kairi, long crimson hair that fell to her waist, cerulean eyes gazing at Sora, dressed in a pink dress similar to what Kairi was wearing now. The other was a tall man, swathed in black, looking similar both to Riku and to Kurai. Silver hair and blue eyes, wearing a slight quirky smirk, clad in what looked like the cloak of Organization XIII, the man tapped a hand to his head, saluting Sora, as the woman smiled softly.

"Who're… you?" asked Sora quietly.

The man laughed. "You should know, you use us almost every time you fight!" Lifting his hand, a blast of black light lit it, lengthening and solidifying into a keyblade.

Sora's eyes widened as he saw Oblivion in the man's hand. He glanced down at his left hand quickly, and saw Oblivion there as well. Bringing his Oblivion up, his eyes slitted into the draconic yellow irises and black pupils, and within the space of a second, he had assessed both keyblades and deduced that, as impossible as it may seem, the two keyblades were identical.

"He's right, Sora. You don't know us? My name is…" The woman spoke up, but as she said her name, all Sora could hear was static, as though his ears had been blocked. The woman looked sad for a while, then sighed and lifted her hand. With a flash of white light, Oathkeeper morphed in her hand, and a quick look with his new eyes told Sora the same story: It was the same as the Oathkeeper he held in his right hand, not even a copy, but the exact same.

Meanwhile, the man was looking at the woman. "So whadaya say? We beat it into him?" He held Oblivion carelessly, his finger through the guard, slinging it from side to side in a way that was eerily similar to Axel.

'Roxas…?' Sora ventured hesitantly in his mind.

'_Yeah? Hang on; hold that thought, I think I know what you want to say. You're right… this guy really acts like…'_ His Nobody faltered, unable to go on.

'How did you know what I was gonna ask? Wait a minute… You can't read my mind… can you?!' Sora raged at his Nobody. His response was the feeling of Roxas settling comfortably into a chair in his mind. Now that the topic was off Axel, he was back to his playful self. '_Sure can. For one thing, I know what you want to do with Kairi, you naughty boy._'

The two people who were holding Sora's keyblades looked quickly back at the Wielder of Light as he seemed to throw a fit, smacking his head repeatedly and shouting, "Roxas! Get your backside outta there before I drag you out myself! ROXAS!"

'_Watch it; those guys're starting to think you've gone round the bend. I wouldn't be surprised actually…'_ Sora received a mental picture of the brunette, a huge grin on his face as he gave Sora a thumbs up.

Fuming silently, he turned to the man and woman, who were still looking at him with a bemused expression on their faces. "Right, who are you?!"

The woman turned back to the man, shaking her head sadly. "I guess he really doesn't know." The man grimaced. "So we really have to beat it into him?"

"HEY! Quit ignoring me!" Sora's temper was near boiling point now, Roxas' taunting and the mysterious people not helping in the least.

The man looked at the woman, who nodded. He then looked back at Sora, raising Oblivion to point at the teen. "Look, we told you, but you can't hear us, so there's no point trying. The easiest way now is to fight us. If you win, you'll know. If we win…" He lapsed into silence, his brow furrowed.

"If you win, then what?" Sora wasn't too worried. Then he remembered that he didn't have access to his Forms, but he knew that although it was a pretty big setback, if he played his cards right, he would be able to win.

"You die." The woman was simple and direct, her aqua eyes, resembling Kairi's so much, reached deep into Sora's heart, and Roxas delivered the mental equivalent of a kick to the back of Sora's mind.

'_Get your mind back on track!_'

"I'll die…? Well… that's no different to what I've been going through." Sora shrugged, seemingly light-hearted, but in his heart, he suddenly felt a little anxious. He raised Oathkeeper and Oblivion, settling into a battle stance, the one he used when he was in Valour Form.

The woman smiled again, her smile sad as she disappeared from where she stood, appearing behind Sora and striking out with the Oathkeeper at his back. Sora's quick reflexes saved him from being sliced in two, but the man's sudden appearance before him, swinging Oblivion, sliced a thin line across his face before they both disappeared, reappearing around ten metres before him, not even breathing hard.

"You disappoint me, Sora. I had expected something more." The man shook his head mock-sadly, slinging Oblivion casually onto his shoulder. "Pathetic."

"You're the one who's losing!" The man's comment, so like what Riku always used to provoke him, did what the man had intended it to do, and Sora stood back up from where he had been sprawled on the ground, light flaring up around him as Oathkeeper and Oblivion started to hum in his grasp.

"I think that did it. Now to actually get him fired up enough." The man sent the thought at the woman almost telepathically, then leapt into the air, Oblivion swinging down in a black arc as the woman dashed along the ground, swinging Oathkeeper up in a contrasting white blur.

Sora jumped up, not as high as the man had leapt, but so that he was in the middle of the strikes, and swung his keyblades out, his Oathkeeper streaking to clang against the man's Oblivion, while his Oblivion scraped sparks against the woman's Oathkeeper.

"Ars Arcanum." The whisper went softly from Sora's lips and a soft golden glow infused him. Striking out with both Keyblades, he spun around in mid-air, each rebounding strike off his opponent's keyblades drawing them together, until he had grouped them both before him. Upper slash, lower thrust, spinning overhand strike, left handed follow-up, he barraged the two of them with attack after attack, before suddenly leaping back, holding the two keyblades high in the air. "Finis!" Leaping forward, he smote outwards with both keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion slashing out in unison as he landed softly behind the two.

"Impressive. I wasn't expecting Ars Arcanum this early. Maybe Strike Raid or Blitz, but not Ars Arcanum."

His eyes wide in shock, Sora watched the two mysterious entities float gently down from the air where he had caught them in his combo. The two of them were unscathed, and smoke was rising slowly from the very air around them, as though they had moved with superhuman speed to dodge and parry every strike that had been made. His eyes narrowed, and he charged forward again. "Ragnarok!"

"Enough." The woman slashed outwards with Oathkeeper, a massive wave of energy roaring out to stop Sora's attack head on. As Sora winced from the force behind the attack, he heard Roxas whistle in his mind.

'_Phew… Dang, I'd hate to make this one mad. If I were you, I'd pray that Kairi doesn't grow up like that._'

'Shut up.'

The man stepped forward. "Sora, can you hear me now? My name is…"

Again, Sora's ears heard only static when the man said his name, but through the static, he could hear what sounded like a word, which he strained to hear.

The man's eyes lit up, and he looked more like Riku then ever. "He's getting it! Sora, listen carefully. My name is…"

"Oblivion!" Sora shouted. His eyes opened wide as he stared at the keyblade in the man's hand, then at the one he held in his left hand. He then looked at the woman, whose smile had grown happier, and felt the familiar lurch in his gut at her resemblance to Kairi. "Then you are…"

The woman nodded. "My name is Oathkeeper. We are your keyblades, or the spirits that dwell in them, whichever you prefer."

Sora's eyes closed as he tried to digest all the information. Luckily for him, being a Wielder and travelling to so many different worlds made it easier for him to accept new ideas, but this was still a lot to take in.

"So… Now that I know your names… Now what?" he asked.

"Easy." The man grinned, throwing Oblivion into the air where it disappeared in a flash of black light. "We were listening, y'know. They want to teach you something called Bankai, right? Well, from what we gathered, Oathkeeper here thought they wanted to show our true form. Thing is, this is more or less our true form. So I thought perhaps they wanted us to give you some new power." His grin widened. "We can't exactly do that, but we _can_ give you some fighting boosts. Now, this is literally all a dream. No time has passed at all, in reality. Wish yourself outta here, then see what's happened."

Sora nodded. "So the battle…?"

"The battle was to test whether you were worthy of us. To gain me, you kept the oath to Kairi, something that carried over through time and space. To gain Oblivion, you defeated Ansem, in the form of Riku, and showed Riku that darkness isn't evil, but just a form of energy, like light. The battle proved to us that you are worthy, for while we fought, we delved into your thoughts." Oathkeeper's reply made Sora's mind fly back to the time he met Kairi in Traverse Town, so long ago now, and to Hollow Bastion, where the Seven Princesses had been held. "Roxas doesn't know that much, all he knows is that he is a Wielder. He now lies within you, does he not? But enough of this. Soul Society is under attack. You need to lend Kurai aid."

Soa's eyes narrowed as he thought of the angel and the massive blast of pressure he had felt when he was in the cavern, and he nodded. "How do I get outta here?"

"Just wish yourself out. This is your inner world, where you can come anytime. Should you desire it, we can also materialize ourselves in the material world, but it will drain both us and you." Oathkeeper and Oblivioin were both starting to fade away, Oathkeeper's voice becoming fainter. "Farewell, Sora."

Sora shook his head, finding himself in the cavern. A feeling of raw power surged through him, even greater than that of Final Form, and he found he was floating slightly above the ground, similar to Wisdom Form and Final Form. Looking down at his hands, he saw that his arms were covered in a strange light metal, identical to the metal that the keyblades were forged out of. His right arm, which usually wielded Oatkeeper, was covered in white metal, while his left arm, which usually held Oblivion, was covered in black. The metal continued up his arms, onto his shoulders and across his back, where the white metal surged out over his left in a single brilliant white wing, while the black metal formed an identical black wing on his right shoulder blade. His hands themselves were still gripping the keyblades, but being covered with armour, he couldn't remove them. Oathkeeper and Oblivion protruded out under the armour, forming twin deadly blades.

"So this… is my Bankai…?" he muttered to himself.

* * *

Well, I'm going to post the next chapter up straight. I was on a high this afternoon, and I went type crazy. Please review this chapter and the next!


	18. True Hearts

Like I said, I'm posting both these chapters now. They're the results of a very energetic combination. Hope you guys like it!

* * *

Two black keyblades locked into a deadly duel as their wielders grunted with exertion. The two figures holding the keyblades disappeared, reappearing periodically all over the plains they were fighting on, sparks flying from where keyblade met keyblade, and an occasional explosion from where a stray dark energy ball impacted on the ground marring the perfectly even surface of the battlefield.

"So, you're never telling me who you are?" Riku ducked under a horizontal slash, Way to the Dawn surging upwards to meet the star steel of the Soul Eater, kicking out at the feet of his attacker.

The unknown figure took the form of a slightly built girl, wearing a black cloak that was unlike that of the Organization, being held together at the throat, with a high collar instead of a hood, making it look for like a cape than a cloak. Under the cloak, she wore a dull yellow tank top and a black mini-skirt, making her look somewhat like Tifa, only with a yellow top. Her hair was silver, like his, reaching down below her waist, tied with string near its end, with two small bells attached. Her eyes were a bright green, and her grin was almost identical to his, an ironic satirical smile. Instead of Way to the Dawn, she was wielding the Soul Eater, the sinister wing-like keyblade Riku used before Ansem was defeated.

"Nup. For one thing, I doubt you'd be able to hear. I tried, remember?" The girl flipped over, the Soul Eater flicking out and slamming into Way to the Dawn with surprising force, sending Riku stumbling back a few paces, before he ducked again, the Soul Eater whipping a few strands of silver hair from his head.

"Yeah, about that. What's with the static?" Riku clicked his fingers, sending multiple balls of dark energy at the girl, but she merely leapt into the air, disappearing and reappearing all through them, sending the balls scattering into each other and exploding.

"Your heart isn't ready to accept me. You know, one of these days, you're gonna get hurt pretty darn badly if you don't get it to." She disappeared from her position, appearing behind Riku. The Soul Eater sliced through the air, meeting with Way to the Dawn as Riku spun around, generating a fist of black flame as he attempted to punch the girl.

"And you're gonna get hurt real bad if you don't stop talking in riddles." His eyes narrowed, a slight amber hue in them as he drew upon the darkness within him. "Dark Aura." A blast of darkness erupted from him, black light hammering into the girl, as she brought the Soul Eater up in defence.

"Heehee! Sorry Rik, this party's over." She slashed before her with the Soul Eater, a black shockwave echoing throughout the plains as the darkness parted easily before her. Disappearing from her location, she reappeared behind Riku, smashing the back of his head with the back of the Soul Eater.

Riku fell to the ground, rubbing the back of his head in pain. "Hey! Watch the head!" He flipped over on the ground, Way to the Dawn snaking out to pierce the girl, but the Soul Eater stabbed straight into the ground next to his hand, catching the round guard of the keyblade and forcing it onto the ground with surprising strength.

The girl ginned. "Y'know Rik, you ain't bad. I reckon you can probably hear my name now. Listen. The name's…"

Riku's eyes opened wide as he finished her sentence. "Way to the… Dawn?"

The girl nodded, then scowled a bit. "I never did like my full name. Next time, when we're talking like this, call me Dawn, 'kay? But you can call me Way to the Dawn when you're talking _about_ me."

Riku nodded, dumbstruck. "So it was true… But he never said you had a corporeal form…?"

Dawn cocked her head to one side in question. "He? Oh!" Her eyes brightened with comprehension. "Tenshi Kurai, the Fallen Angel! Yeah, I heard my brother talking about the previous Wielder of Dawn a lot! That guy knows a lot, but no one knows everything about Keyblades. He's not using one now, is he?"

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Brother? Keyblades have brothers? And no, Kurai's not using a Keyblade anymore. I don't really know what weapon it is, but he calls it Betrayal."

A dark cloud passed over Dawn's face. "Well, he isn't exactly my brother, but we kinda adopted each other. His name's Trust, and he was Kurai's keyblade. And I've heard of Betrayal…" Her eyes flashed.

"So why are you wielding the Soul Eater, if you're Way to the Dawn?" Riku tried to bypass the tense moment. Even though this was very unexpected, Riku had the uncanny ability to accept anything strange in an instant, his mind absorbing the information, adding a good dose of common sense, and then acting as though it was completely normal. It freaked Sora out on more than one occasion too.

"Silly!" Dawn smacked Riku's head with the back of the Soul Eater, grinning maniacally, the dark cloud that had arrived at the mention of Betrayal long gone. "The Soul Eater _is_ Way to the Dawn! I guess when you were so busy training to beat that Nobody you didn't notice. But the Soul Eater is me as well. I'm both Way to the Dawn and the Soul Eater. Y'know, for a bright guy, you can be pretty dense at times."

Riku rubbed the back of his neck uncharacteristically like Sora. "I guess… So now that I know your name, which I guess I probably should've known earlier, what now?"

Dawn's face split into a mischievous grin that made her look a lot younger than she already was, as well as enhancing her young feminine 'cuteness'. "You wanted to learn Bankai, didn't you? I had a good chat with Oathkeeper and Oblivion a while ago, and we came to the conclusion that you guys wanted a power-up, without having to go into Limit and all that. Kinda like a new Form, no?"

Riku nodded once, then his brain registered something. "Oathkeeper and Oblivion? They're like you too?"

Dawn nodded. "Yup. All keyblades are like us, but they're kinda… shall we say… sleepy. Me, Oathkeeper and Oblivion are pretty much the most active of the lot, since you guys use us a lot. But even if you're using a keyblade, there's no guarantee they're awake. For example, Sweet Memories is still more or less completely asleep, as well as the Gullwings. Ultima, Fenrir, Lionheart and King are all awake too."

"King? Ultima?" His eyes widened. "The Kingdom Key and Ultima Weapon?"

Dawn nodded. "Don't look so surprised. It ain't nice to be surprised so easily. Anyway, we had a nice chat together, and we decided that we might as well try our best. Now, we aren't exactly in the material world; this is your inner self. You can find this place easily enough if you meditate hard enough. It's not that hard. I'm usually here, bored outta my mind, so drop by whenever you get the chance, alright? Just wish yourself out; you'll appear in the cavern. You'll see that no time has passed. You can spend years in here, then return out there to find that perhaps five seconds have gone. Anyways, you'll see what I've done for you when you get out. See ya Rik!"

As Riku closed his eyes, concentrating to return to where he could feel powerful energies clashing, he grinned. Somehow, not even his mind could've imagined that his keyblade, one of the most powerful dark keyblades in existence, could take the form of a hyperactive teenage girl. 'And she wasn't too bad looking either…' he mused, just as he materialized.

Opening his eyes, he felt a tremendous power flowing through him, but Way to the Dawn had disappeared from his hand. Looking down, he saw that the keyblade had been replaced with a dark ball of flame. Instinctively, he plunged his hand down, slamming it palm first into the ground. The ball of black fire was absorbed easily into the ground, and a massive black dome erupted around them, surrounding the Destiny Island trio, encasing them in a black sphere. But Riku wasn't worried. Somehow, he knew that this was his Bankai, and everything was going to be fine, although not for his enemies.

Lifting one hand, hundreds of black swords crashed out of the ground, solid, yet not made out of metal, the entire sword, from blade to hilt, being made of a strange material that Riku, upon touching one, knew instantly to be solid darkness. He leapt into the air, jumping higher than he could ever do normally, and remained there, hovering effortlessly, a black blade in his hand. Reaching up and touching the ceiling of the dome, he discovered that the dome was passable, at least for him. The darkness of the dome parted willingly for him, but he knew instinctively that no one else would be able to pass through, neither in nor out. It was a killing ground for him, a place that was his alone, with hundreds of blades at his command. A slight twitch in his hand caused him to glance down, his now black eyes looking at the black sword in his hand, and he guessed that should anyone other than him touch the sword, they would be burnt. The only weakness he had was the limited space he could affect.

"So… this is Bankai…"

* * *

Kairi looked in surprise at the two keyblades in her hand. She had no idea how they had appeared, but she somehow knew that True Heart was no longer under her command. The crimson keyblade had given way to these two new keyblades, both of which she felt a strange attachment to. She remembered summoning True Heart, then the keyblade cracking in two from the mighty pressures that were pressing on them. But a brilliant flash later, she was holding two keyblades in her hands, which she presumed were these two.

"What's… going on…?" she murmured.

"Kairi…"

Kairi spun around, holding the two new keyblades in her hands. As she did, settling into a battle stance, she suddenly remembered where she had seen them before. The two keyblades were mirror images of Oathkeeper and Oblivion, except for their colour scheme. While Oathkeeper had been white with pale blue and yellow colouring around the starry tip, her keyblade was silver, not white, with a dusting of various shades of crimson and gold. On the other hand, Oblivion was black, with a silver chain that ran through its length, and a blue diamond embedded in its hilt. The keyblade in her left hand however, was white, with a golden chain, and the jewel in its hilt was a vermillion ruby.

Suddenly, she remembered the voice that had caused her to turn around, and she looked up from where she was inspecting her new keyblades. Her eyes widened in astonishment.

Across from her stood two people, a man and a woman. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw that the man looked almost exactly like Sora, or at least an older version of him, except that he was dressed in white armour with gold highlights, the picture of a crown on his left breast. Her eyes went to the woman, and she suddenly found herself looking at them with a different perspective, and a tear ran down her face.

'_Y'see, when a Wielder dies, he or she is taken straight to Kingdom Hearts, not just their hearts. It's a reward for doing so much to try and defend the world from the Heartless all their lives. No, Kirin and Ruin are probably waiting for me in Kingdom Hearts._'

Kurai's voice rang in her mind, haunting her with his low voice. The woman was of average height, perhaps less, but her eyes were the same as Kairi's, albeit hazel instead of blue. Her hair was brown, reaching down to about her shoulders even though she had it in a small ponytail, and she was slender, dressed in a white dress which clung to her figure nicely.

"Ki-Kirin…? Ruin…?" Kairi's voice caught as she spoke, disbelief, fear, sadness and excitement working on her. "Are you them…?"

The woman shook her head, a soft smile on her face which nearly broke Kairi's heart in two; such was the sadness that it held. A soft melodious voice was emitted from her mouth as she said, "No we aren't, Kairi. But we know Kurai well. We are Ruin's keyblades. My name is…"

But Kairi could only hear static in place of her name. "What? What's your name?"

The woman smiled again, shaking her head. The man stepped forward. "You cannot hear our names as of yet, Wielder of Love, because you have not lived up to your title. As the Wielder of Love, you must acknowledge, and you must accept. Don't you know?"

Kairi shook her head, finding herself more and more confused. "What're you talking about? My title? I know I'm the Wielder of Love, haven't I shown enough love yet?"

"There is someone, someone close to you, who feels for you more than a friend. You know who he is, but you have not admitted it to yourself yet. Why haven't you admitted it to yourself?" The man challenged.

"I don't know who you're talking about! What do you mean 'Why'? I don't even know what you're talking about!" But even as Kairi protested, she felt something inside her, something that hinted to be something she had suspected, but had not believed.

The man stepped closer, seeming to Kairi's eyes to grow bigger with each step, looming over her. "Kairi! Do not doubt it! You are the Wielder of Love, without love you will cease to exist! You gave someone an oath to keep, and he kept it. Who was he?"

Kairi's eyes started to fill up with water as her mouth opened of its own accord, answering the question. "Sora…"

"Someone fought through numerous worlds to find you, to take you home, to destroy those who hurt you, to bring you into the light. Who was he?"

"Sora…" More tears rolled down her face.

"Someone gave you the most precious thing of all, his heart, to protect and cherish. He gave up his heart to save you, so that you may remain whole. Who was he?"

Kairi's fists were clenched, the twin keyblades stuck point first into the ground as her mind screamed other questions at her, all which had but one answer. "Sora did…"

"Someone was erased from your memories, from the memories of everyone, yet you alone was able to feel him, who was he?"

"Sora…"

The man, who was by now right in front of her, gently lowered his voice to say softly, "Someone loved you with all his heart, yet was afraid to tell you, afraid even to tell himself. He loves you, yet doesn't even know it himself. Who is he…?"

Kairi fell to her knees, tears running down her face, not even trying to brush them away. "Sora… loves… me…? Sora loves me…" She looked up to gaze into the face of the man who looked so much like Sora.

The man smiled, and although it looked so much like Sora's trademark goofy grin, all Kairi saw was the pure light that filled Sora up, the darkness that balanced out his light in Riku, while Riku's light mingled with Sora's.

Leaning down, the man whispered into Kairi's ear. "My name is Oathgiver. I am the counter-part to Sora's Oathkeeper. You have given him an oath, and he has kept it."

Offering his hand to Kairi, he pulled her gently to her feet, then turned to face the woman, who hadn't moved through Kairi's breakdown. He nodded once, and the woman's smile slowly changed, the sadness being replaced with the happiness of a thousand suns. "I am Eternity. I am the counter-part to Sora's Oblivion. He brings himself into nothing, while you fill his nothing with everything."

Oathgiver gave a hearty laugh, breaking the atmosphere. "You and Sora remind us of Ruin, Kurai and Kirin all those years ago. Only this time, Riku isn't in the equation. Luckily…" His face became drawn with pain. "I remember the pain and anguish that Ruin went through so long ago, when she was forced to choose out of the Light and the Dark."

Eternity nodded. "You're lucky, Kairi. The pain of having to choose is immense, and Ruin was near to taking her own life, Wielder though she was."

Kairi nodded, rubbing the last of her tears away. "I'm lucky… to have Sora…" She reached into her dress pocket, pulling out a small star-like item. Taking hold of the silver keyblade that looked so much like Oathkeeper, she lifted Oathgiver out of the ground, comparing the keychain on it to the charm in her hand. They were exactly the same.

Oathgiver nodded as he saw her comparing the two. "When Sora received your lucky charm, he attached it to his keyblade, which became Oathkeeper. He removed it later, but ever since then, the Oathkeeper has become one of his main weapons."

Another tear fell out of Kairi's eye, but this time they stayed dry instead of tearing up again as she nodded firmly. "He… doesn't… know?" she ventured.

Eternity shook her head. "Sora isn't exactly the brightest person. He loves you, yet does not really understand the concept of it. Love is a very hard thing to fathom."

Kairi sighed. "How am I supposed to…?"

Oathgiver knelt down so that he was at her level. "You love Sora, Kairi. You know it, but you've never believed it. You're afraid of losing him to the darkness again. How else were you able to know that Sora was the Heartless back in Hollow Bastion?"

Kairi looked away, one hand automatically brushing a few strands of long red hair behind her ear. The armoured man sighed, then tapped her lightly on the head. "Namine, don't you think it's time you said something?"

To Kairi's shock, a voice in her head sounded. '_How did you know, Oathgiver?_'

Oathgiver chuckled. "We were paying attention back in that room. Roxas, if I'm right, is having a field day in Sora's head as well. But still, come on out."

A white glow surrounded Kairi, which moved slowly to one side, before solidifying. The blonde girl that Kairi knew as Namine, clad in a white shift, nodded shyly at Kairi, her hands clasped in front of her, before turning to face Oathgiver. "_Oathgiver, Eternity, I believe we have met before…?_'

Oathgiver nodded, and Eternity, who had come up to the pair of them, smiled at Namine. "Yes, we have. Namine, it has been a long time. The last time I saw you, you were distressed beyond belief. I trust you are feeling better?"

Namine nodded. '_Yes. It was nothing; I solved it a while ago._' Even outside Kairi's head, Namine's voice had a resounding quality that Kairi had attributed to her voice bouncing off the insides of her head.

Eternity nodded. "If you say so." She then turned to Kairi. "Kairi, are you ready?"

Kairi's face showed her surprise. "Ready? For what?"

'_I think they are talking about learning Bankai, Kairi._' Namine turned shyly back to Kairi. '_Do you mind if I return to you? As your Nobody, we are bound together…_' She trailed off uncertainly.

Kairi tried to smile convincingly, and wasn't sure if she succeeded. "Sure. Go on. I'm going to have to get used to this, right?"

Oathgiver laughed. "Yes, you're going to. Go on Namine. Get in there."

Namine nodded once to each of them in turn, then faded into a white glow, which hovered over Kairi, then melted inside her. Kairi, who had screwed her face up in anticipation of some horrible feeling, opened her eyes in surprise. "I didn't feel anything…"

Oathgiver laughed again. "There's no reason you should. Anyways…" His face sobered up. "Bankai... eh…? We've got no idea what Bankai is, but when I eavesdrop– er… _heard_ Oblivion talking to the other keyblades, he said something about Forms?"

Kairi giggled a bit at the keyblade's antics, then nodded. "Yeah, Bankai's supposed to be something like a Form, a power-up of some sort?"

Eternity nodded. "But since we don't know too much about that, Oathgiver has decided to steal their idea."

"Hey! I was out of ideas!" The hangdog look on Oathgiver's face was identical to the one that Sora sometimes wore, and Kairi laughed.

"So what are you two going to do?" she asked.

Oathgiver grinned. "Well, I kinda… uh… _watched_ Oblivion and Oathkeeper as they were discussing it, so I've got a pretty fair idea what to do. First of all, this isn't an actual place; this is what your inner world looks like." He gestured around at the empty white room. "We, that is, us keyblades, are usually here."

"Are all keyblades like you two then…?" Kairi's eyes were wide with wonder.

Eternity nodded. "All of us. But as Oathgiver was saying, you need to return to the material world. It's easy, you just wish yourself out. Then you'll see what we have done to aid you."

Kairi nodded, accepting the information, then to the surprise of the two keyblades, she hugged them both. "Thank you. Thank you for opening my eyes…"

As she faded back out of her inner world, Oathgiver and Eternity glanced at each other. Both had slight tears in their eyes, yet they both also looked happy.

"Ruin?" murmured Eternity.

Oathgiver nodded. "So much like her…"

Crimson and gold streaks of light whirled around Kairi as she floated in mid-air. Her clothes had been altered, so she was wearing what looked like a skin tight suit, yet the beautiful patterns of flowers on it made it look like the gown of a princess. Oathgiver and Eternity floated in the air behind her, similar to how Sora's keyblades did when he was in Final Form, and wherever she went, grass grew and flowers bloomed under her. Vines entwined their way around her body, flying in the wind that blew softly around her body, her red hair blowing in the slight breeze. Razor sharp petals and leaves floated all around her as well, and a crimson ruby hung on a necklace around her neck.

"Is this… Bankai…?"

* * *

I'm not very good at describing the three Bankais, and I'm sorry for that. They all hold true to being more impressive looking than how they'd normally be, but I don't think I managed to describe them how I wanted them to be in my mind. Ah well... Please review!


	19. Training till Death

It's been a few days since I went on that high, and looking back, I feel proud of being able to hurry those chapters up in the space of three days. Writing now has taken a turn for the worse, what with the distractions my home possesses that my home doesn't. xD But here's Chapter 19, after the four day delay!

**To my reviewers:**  
Shire Folk: Taunting him? He might be... but why did Sora react like that...? D Oathgiver was kinda modeled after Sora, so I tried to inject some of his personality in him. But he can still be very serious should the situation requires it. As for action, well, they still need to get used to their new power first, so...  
bailkatanas: And Kirin said, "Let there be action." There isn't a lot in this chapter, but enough for Sora's new 'trick' to go through its tryouts. Still, it goes nowhere near its limits.  
littlehomiieex3: Sorry to hear that. But it doesn't matter whether or not you review, so long as you have fun reading this fic. It's the main reason I wrote it anyways, so that other people can have fun, the sort of fun I get from reading the fanfics of other people.  
The Elven-Spear: As usual, I... er... fail to comprehend the depth of that, except that you like it, which is good enough for me! xD  
Silent Blade: Yes, I threatened you. I don't like being threatened, so be warned. But anyways, here's the next chapter!  
SauronBane: Yo Sauron! Never thought I'd see you here. Shameless plug for one of the greatest forums in the world, Bleach Flame Forums! Google it and join! Anyways, yeah, for those of you who didn't know, I've always thought that the Heart Unlocker keyblade that Riku uses in KH is the Way to the Dawn keyblade he uses in KH2, when it is actually the keyblade that looks remarkably similar to the Soul Eater sword he used back in KH1 and in CoM. Thanks for pointing that out, Sauron! This is the next chapter, hope you enjoy this as well!

* * *

Above the massive training cavern, the world was shocked into a still, the massive blast of reiatsu from underground catching them all off guard. Kurai grinned like a maniac as Betrayal swung out, a wave of onyx energy crashing into a Menos Grande, sending it back to trample the Vasto Lorde, only to be devoured by the physically smaller Hollow as the Vasto Lorde grew larger, nourished by its fellow Hollow.

"Interesting… Cannibal, eh?" he muttered. "Well, at least they've got Bankai now. Ichigo'll be glad to know that his money's not going to waste. Now Kisuke'd better teach them how to use Bankai properly. The last time an inexperienced Bankai fought an experienced one, Renji got his backside kicked."

With a blast of flame, Yamamoto stood alone in a circle of flame, surrounded on all sides by Hollows. His muscular body gleamed slightly in the sunlight that was made dim by the flames, the living fire that ran through his veins calling out to Ryuujin Jakka, which stood out in stark contrast, the flames on it lighter than the flames that burned everywhere else.

Ichigo swooped down beside Kurai, unleashing a Getsuga Tenshou at the Vasto Lorde, which it easily deflected into another of the Menos Grande that were approaching. "What're the chances of this? Vastoe Lorde, jeez. When your friends were here no less. Y'suppose Aizen…?"

Kurai shook his head. "It might be, but I've got my bet on co-incidence. For one thing, how could Aizen know?" But deep inside him, he felt a twinge of doubt, which he had learnt to always take into account. "On the other hand, you might be right. I suppose we'd better wait and see…"

* * *

With Sora's wings shedding a soft light, the three teens saw they were in a large black dome, the dome of Riku's Bankai. Kairi, wrapped in vines with the two keyblades floating along beside her, glanced at Sora, and saw the Wielder of Light gazing at her in appreciation, blushing and looking away when he noticed her looking.

"Er… um… Nice outfit, Kairi…" he muttered, red inflaming his cheeks. A thud in the back of his mind and a slight pain told him Roxas had just kicked him again. '_You idiot! Is that all you can think of to say when she's dressed in nothing but flowers?!_'

Above them, Riku laughed out loud. "What he means, Kairi, is you look hot." He descended slowly to the ground from where he had been suspended, looking at the two of them. "Well, I guess I'm the only one who hasn't got a new wardrobe."

Kairi blushed, having learnt how Sora felt when he accepted her true title as the Wielder of Love. "Thanks, Sora." She grinned. "You don't look too bad yourself."

Sora turned completely crimson, and to change the subject, he waved one of his bladed arms at the hundreds of swords littering the area. "You don't need one, Riku. Now, mind lifting this thing so we can get out?"

Riku nodded, but then they heard a light tapping on the dome. Turning around, the teens saw Urahara standing outside, tapping the dome with the hilt of his sword. When he saw they had turned, he motioned for Riku to open the dome, which he did.

"Interesting. Sound doesn't carry through your darkness, Riku-kun. Very interesting indeed." He looked from one to the other, a slight smile on his face, and like before, Sora couldn't tell if the smile was sarcastic, snide, piteous, or just plain happy. "So, we've achieved Bankai, have we? Interesting the way you three seemed to have it dormant in your bodies, without having to fight your… keyblades, was it?"

Riku and Sora caught each other's eyes, and they knew straight away that the other had fought as well. A slight smirk appeared on Riku's face, while Sora felt a small tugging at the edge of his mouth. Their eyes said it all: 'He has no idea.'

"So now… we fight."

The calm proclamation shocked the teens out of the sense of pride they had felt. Sora disappeared from his spot, reappearing before Kairi protectively, while Riku clicked his fingers, sealing the dome shut, with Urahara inside as well. Hundreds of swords rose up in the air behind him, and Way to the Dawn appeared in his hand.

The ex-shinigami smiled infuriatingly again, hiding his face with his fan as he spoke. "I am not your opponent, Riku-san. I will be Sora-kun's opponent. Yoruichi-san will be your opponent, and Kairi-san…"

"She's not going anywhere without me!" growled Sora, his eyes glowing white. Behind him, Kairi had a look of fear on her face. "You hear me?!"

'_Way to go. I'd do the same if it was… never mind._'

'Roxas, not now!'

'_Gotcha._'

"I sense you three do not trust me, even after I have helped you attain Bankai. I suppose Kurosaki-kun hasn't foreseen this possibility, which is surprising, considering how much he distrusted me when I was training him." Urahara didn't look in the least bit offended at how he was being treated. "Very well then. Kairi-san and Sora-kun can fight me simultaneously. Riku-kun, if you'd be so kind as to open your dome once more?"

Riku frowned, looking over to Sora and Kairi. The two of them looked slightly troubled, but then Sora nodded. Riku's eyes narrowed, but then, to his surprise, he felt a voice in his mind.

'_Riku? Riku, can you hear me? It's me, Roxas! You beat the tar outta me back in The World That Never Was, remember? Don't speak out loud, just use your head._'

Riku, startled, closed his eyes and complied. 'Roxas? What the? I thought you had melded with Sora!'

'_I did. But since I was… 'alive' for a while, I guess I kinda retained my memories…_' Roxas' voice trailed off for a second, his mental voice sad. Then he spoke up again, his normal bright and cheerful self. '_Anyway, Sora was wondering, since I live in his head, could I go around talking inside the heads of other people? So I decided to try with you .Looks like it worked! Now, the reason Sora wanted me to try is because the bond with us is very strong at the moment, especially because of this Bankai thing. We needed a way to communicate without that Urahara guy listening in. You wanna know why Sora agreed? Look at the size of his sword! It's a blinkin' toothpick! Oathkeeper and Oblivion would shred it in two before he could blink!_'

Riku was about to answer, but Roxas cut him off again.

'_So anyways, you can take care of that Yoruichi woman, can't you? She doesn't seem so tough, just fast. Sora'll take care of Urahara, and we'll make sure Kairi remains safe._'

Riku sighed mentally. 'Do I have a choice?'

'_No._'

'Well, let's get this over with.'

He opened his eyes, and was startled to see the scene before him unchanged, as though his conversation with Roxas had taken just moments, instead of at least minutes. Then, to his great surprise, he felt four people in his mind, and closed his eyes again.

'What the hell?!'

'Hey Riku, you got linked as well! Sweet! Thanks Namine!'

Riku was bemused. 'Kairi?'

'Uh-huh.' The girl's voice sounded exhilarated. 'And then there's Sora, Roxas, and Namine!'

'Don't ask me Riku, she was the one who came up with the idea.' Sora's voice sounded slightly freaked out, yet it was surprisingly calm for Sora. 'Apparently she was wondering how Roxas could get into other people's minds, and asked Namine if she could do it as well. I wasn't really expecting it though.'

'_Turns out she can do more than that, she can link multiple minds telepathically at once!_' Roxas' voice sounded full of pride, and Riku could feel the as of yet silent person being drawn towards him.

'Right, enough of this. Sora, are you sure about taking him on? There's more to him than meets the eye, and he might have some tricks up his sleeve…' he asked.

Sora gave the mental equivalent of a nod. 'Yeah. We can only try, can't we? Plus, we've just got these things. We need to learn how to use them properly; it took me a while to learn how to control the Forms. I hated changing to Anti Form whenever I failed.'

Riku was surprised. Sora wasn't usually so level-headed. 'Right. Well, looks like I'll have to fight this Yoruichi then. We'd better unlink, Urahara might be getting suspicious.'

Roxas laughed. '_Remember how no time passed at all while you were fighting your keyblades? Well, it's the same here. No time has passed at all! Sora's just finished his nod, and he's staying like that till we're done!_'

'Hey!' shouted Sora.

'_And I think I can maintain the link even if none of us are here. The bonds between us are strong enough. As long as you three are in Bankai, I think I can maintain the link, as well as allow time to flow normally again._' Namine spoke up softly, her soft voice contrasting with Roxas' cheerful one.

'So we can talk to each other while fighting? Neat!' Although they couldn't see him, they could feel the radiance from Sora's trademark goofy smile, and Kairi giggled.

'Right, let's get this over with. Do I just wish myself out like I did with the keyblade?' Riku asked.

'I think so…' muttered Kairi. 'I'll go first. See ya!'

Riku waited for a few moments, then spoke up. 'My turn. I'll see you out there, Sora. Take care of her.'

'Sure.'

Then he was opening his eyes, shaking his long silver hair from his eyes as he saw Sora nod at Urahara. 'I hope you know what you're doing, Sora…' he thought.

'Same. I should be able to take him on though. S'long as Kairi stays safe…' Riku grinned as Sora's voice came in his mind. Namine had managed to keep the connection, and this would be a huge advantage in their fight.

He clicked his fingers, and a hole opened at ground level in the dome, allowing Urahara, Sora and Kairi to walk out, or at least, Urahara did, the other two glided out. Yoruichi walked calmly in, gazing around at the swords on the ground.

"Not bad. So this is your Bankai, Silver?" she said.

"The name's Riku." His eyes narrowed as he gazed upon the woman, whose lithe body lounged casually on the ground, her feet barely touching it.

Yoruichi grinned. "Alright then, _Riku_. Let's see how good you are at controlling your Bankai. Let's go!" A swirl of reiatsu later and she had disappeared.

Riku was caught off-guard; the reiatsu emission was next to nothing, and he ducked quickly, Yoruichi's foot slicing through the air above his head. He slashed outwards with Way to the Dawn, but the black keyblade passed through thin air, the woman disappearing and appearing behind him, slamming a fist into his back with surprising force.

Clenching his teeth in pain, Riku spun around, black swords shooting up from the ground, but she had reappeared above him, smashing her foot into his gut, sending him plummeting into the ground below. "Too slow, Silver!"

* * *

Urahara faced Sora and Kairi across an empty clearing, the top of the black dome barely visible over a dead stand of trees that were nevertheless packed so closely together that they formed an effective screen.

He swung the thin sword he held slowly side to side, the irritating smile still on his face. "Well then, Sora-kun. Shall we begin?"

'Kairi, stay back.' He was grateful for the mental communication Namine offered, as it enabled him to be tuned in to what was happening around him without having to drag his attention away. But then a pained scream rang through his mind.

'Riku?!'

'Damn, Sora… she's good… But I might be able to beat her… Damn!' The shout was followed by another mental scream, and Sora turned unconsciously to look at the black dome.

'Sora!'

Kairi's voice rang through his mind, and he spun around, bringing his left arm, Oblivion, up and taking a blow from Urahara's thin sword. The blow held so much power behind it that he was sent flying back, although he managed to right himself with his new wings. But he didn't have time to marvel at their usefulness; the minute he stopped moving, Urahara had appeared before him again, stabbing his sword into the ground and kicking out with his feet while supported by it.

'My my, Sora-kun. You really shouldn't look away from an opponent during battle.'

Sora grunted with exertion as he pushed back the onslaught with Oathkeeper, striking out with Oblivion, sending a black energy wave crashing through the plain where it seemed to connect head-on with Urahara. Before he could celebrate though, Urahara had appeared behind him, stabbing his sword into Sora's back, where it was met with the star steel that formed his wings. The blow sent him skidding on the ground, although his feet weren't touching it, and he spun around, tracing a circle in the air.

"Ragnarok Impact!"

Laser beams shot out of the circle as though it was a portal, but Sora's eyes widened as Urahara's body seemed to flicker in and out of existence, so that each laser beam seemed to pass straight through him, exploding on the ground behind him. Then Urahara did something that nearly made his heart stop.

"Okiro, Benihime."

A blast of crimson light filled the clearing, and Sora disappeared from where he stood, reappearing in front of Kairi, wrapping his wings around her to shield her from anything that might come. When nothing happened, he cautiously peered out, and what he saw made him gasp.

Instead of the long thin sword that he had pulled out of the cane, Urahara now held a long sword, with a black blade and a silver edge. Instead of curving up into a point like most katana, the parallel edges of the sword ran straight, then one simply stopped, and went off at a tangent to complete the blade, giving the impression that the sword had once been broken. But Sora couldn't see how anyone could, the blade looked solid, and in the hands of Urahara, who he had just clashed with briefly, he doubted anyone could come close. The crossguard was an unusual shape, almost a kind of 'U' shape, with the blade sprouting out of the 'U'. Runes adorned it, as well as two red tassels that flapped in the wind that blew through the cavern. The handle itself went off in a tangent at a certain point instead of continuing straight, seeming to mirror the tangent of the blade tip.

"Well Sora-kun, I suppose you're not strong enough to wield Bankai. I must eliminate you. You would be a taint to the records of Seireitei." The ex-shinigami walked forward slowly, then stopped about ten metres before Sora. Raising his zanpakutou, Benihime, the Crimson Princess started to howl, crying out for the taste of blood. A blast of wind whipped up around Urahara, his reiatsu boiling under the tight control he held.

"Nake, Benihime."

Swinging his sword down, a massive wave of red energy erupted from it, howling across the clearing, heading straight for Kairi. But before she could even scream, a black and white blur flew like a bullet before her, and the red wave smashed straight into it.

'SORA!'

* * *

'Okiro' is Japanese for 'Awaken'. How didja like that? Not too sporting of Urahara, is it? But then again, the shifty shopkeeper has never exactly followed the rules now has he? Working on the next chapter, so have fun reading this! Please review!


	20. Release

Sorry for the long delay, working on lots of stuff, as well as trying to get something on a site I work on back up in working order. Banshee, Sauron, you two know what I'm talking about. xD

**To my reviewers  
**bailkatanas: This is an action chapter, as will be the next chapter, and maybe the next, depending on how I feel. Hope you like it!  
Shire Folk: I got a lot of inspiration off your fic, Shire Folk, even though I haven't reviewed, I still read it. Well, part of it at least. And I don't know if Yoruichi has Bankai. Urahara for sure, but since he hasn't shown his yet, I'm not obliged to show it, since I don't know how it works. Unless Kubo Tite decides to suddenly stop Bleach, in which case all fanfic writers around the world have the freedom to take their own view on the subject.  
BlackChaos105: Chibi? Oh, right, your friend! xD This story's working on, and your OC might take a while, since a Vasto Lorde has appeared in Soul Society, and they take a while to bring down. . Don't worry, I haven't forgotten him yet!  
The Elven-Spear: Yup, tense. It gets better though.  
Silent Blade: I knew what you meant. xD I guess I forgot to include hints that I was joking as much as you. Don't worry, I haven't given up on this fic yet, it's just that being in a car crash has a way of... distracting you.  
werewolf21: Heh, thanks for taking your time to read it! Yes, they did get Bankai. Riku's Bankai is much like Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi of Kuchiki Byakuya fame, trapping an enemy in a dome of your creation where you can kill them at your leisure. Ichigo's paying Urahara to train them, at Kurai's request. Not that he needs a lot of money, being Ichigo. And the really good battle hasn't even begun yet. But it's going to!  
SauronBane: Well, what else would Urahara and Yoruichi do? NOT kick butt? HELL NO. xD Here's 20, and 21 on the way!  
Midnight's Falling Star: Such a sweet name... cough Anyways, thanks for your input! I keep wondering if the way Kairi admitted her love was too mushy, cliched, or just plain sissy. Glad to see you like it. And whadaya mean by Limp!Sora, Limp!Riku? o.0  
boobanshee: Yo Banshee! Didn't think you'd sign up an account just to give a review! xD Nice to see another BFF member here though. GET KH AND KHII NAO. Bankai FTW!

Well, now that that's over... (Man, I'm so happy with the amount of reviews I got for 19. xD), here's 20!

* * *

A pillar of black light smashed throughout the dome, and Yoruichi was thrown back, surprised at the ferocity of the blast. In the middle of the pillar, Riku floated, his silver hair whipping in the light, his blue eyes turned a shade of black as he heard Kairi's mental cry in his head. Way to the Dawn roared beside him, and it was almost impossible to connect the rage of the black keyblade with the hyperactive teenager that was its spiritual form. The thousands of swords in the dome spread outwards, piercing the walls of the dome, then melted into it, forming a new keyblade, identical to the Soul Eater. 

With a flick of Way to the Dawn, the dome disintegrated, the shreds of darkness flying into the new keyblade in his hand. As each shred entered it, its form altered subtly, until the keyblade that was in his hand looked nothing like the original Soul Eater, except for the same wing motif. Instead of the dragon or bat wing design of the Soul Eater, the new keyblade was more akin to the massive wings that sprouted from Kurai's shoulders, the black wings of the Fallen Angel. Feathers lined the inside of the keyblade, in stark contrast to the empty shaft of Way to the Dawn, black feathers that seemed to glow with darkness, for want of a better word.

Now wielding two keyblades, Riku disappeared, a black blur of motion all that could be seen of him as he flew over to where Kairi and Sora were. Yoruichi sped alongside beside him, but a sudden explosion at her feet forced her back, as a wall of darkness erupted before her, halting her progress.

And then he was beside Kairi, black tendrils of energy surrounding him as he stood before her, looking down at Sora. Blood was already starting to soak into the dried packed ground. Kisuke looked on, emotionless, his dark eyes gazing steadily at Riku, as Yoruichi appeared out of thin air next to him.

Dark light exploded around them, imprisoning the whole area in Riku's zone, his Bankai never having disappeared at all, but just retreating into the ground, a mobile deathbringer. Tracing a circle in the air, Riku muttered one word, "Curaga."

Green light cascaded down onto the motionless figure of the Wielder of Light, and he groaned and stood back up, albeit shakily. Stabbing Oathkeeper into the ground, he closed his eyes, and a massive light broke loose from him, exploding out until it completely filled the black dome, yet not even trying to break through it. When the light faded, he grinned. A deep scar ran down his chest, where the blast had hit him, yet it seemed to have healed completely.

"Sorry 'bout the worry guys. I fell asleep."

A huge vine, one of the crawler vines that snaked through the floor of the Amazon jungle, crashed down onto Sora. It slammed onto his head, knocking him back down before Oblivion sliced through it, breaking it in two. Standing back up, he was confronted by a furious Kairi, who poked a finger in his gut, her normally cerulean eyes blazing crimson.

"Don't you DARE do that again, Sora! I don't care if you're the Wielder of Light, I will _kill_ you if you do that again! Do you have _any_ idea how worried I was?!" Tears were running down her face, and the flowers that draped over her slim body seemed to glow with an inner light. "You didn't have to take that blow for me! If you'd died… If you hadn't survived…" Her body shook with the emotions running through her.

"You're… crying…" Sora raised a hand slowly, and gently stroked her face, a single shining tear on his finger.

"Of course I am, DUMMY!" She threw herself at him, grabbing him tightly around his waist, ignoring the cool metal that covered his arms and back, feeling his chest on her face.

Suddenly, a thin dark screen appeared around them as Riku clicked his fingers. "These guys are mine. No one does that to Sora and gets away with it, not on my watch." His eyes hovered somewhere between gold and black, yet both colours were revolving around a white core.

With a rumbling of the earth, thousands of swords stabbed straight upwards from the ground, and Riku vanished, reappearing behind Urahara and slashing outwards with Way to the Dawn, the new feathered keyblade whirling out to one side, aiming for Yoruichi's head.

"Nake, Benihime." Urahara flung himself to one side, bringing up his zanpakutou, a screen of wavering crimson appearing between him and Riku, Way to the Dawn ricocheting off the screen, as Yoruichi disappeared, reappearing above the new keyblade, kicking downwards at Riku's head.

'_Riku…'_ A voice called out in the Wielder of Dawn's head.

Riku didn't have time to be surprised. He fired off a quick 'What?' in his head, calling three of the numerous swords littering the arena to fly up, hoping to impale one of the two ex-shinigami.

'_Just to let you know, Riku, that keyblade is my sister, and you'd better treat her with some respect!'_ The voice of Dawn echoed loudly in his head.

Riku winced, dodging to one side as Yoruichi's foot missed his head by mere inches. The two ex-shinigami weren't speaking, communicating their thoughts by mere body language. 'Look, I'm kinda busy right now, so if you don't mind?'

There was a pause, then, '_Look, my sister wants to tell you her name, but if you don't want to know, then fine!_'

Riku swung Way to the Dawn to meet Benihime, then his body flickered and he reappeared behind Yoruichi, kicking out at the Goddess of Flash's back. 'Alright then, I'm sorry, but I'm kinda fighting for my life right now, so please make it quick!'

A soft chuckle echoed in his head. '_Typical Riku. I'll tell you my name when you're done then._'

"Nake, Benihime."

Riku barely caught the whispered words, throwing his hand up so that a barrage of black blades took the force of the ex-Captain's blast. 'Sorry to seem so abrupt. But hey, you chose a bad time.'

With that, all conversation stopped, and Riku started to speed up, disappearing and reappearing all around his dome, slashing out with both keyblades in his hands, with a torrent of his own dark blades flying behind him, shredding the very air.

* * *

Behind the black screen, Sora's body was tense as he watched his best friend put his life on the line, fighting the two incredibly powerful shinigami before him. Oathkeeper and Oblivion twitched in his armoured grasp, and his wings moved fractionally every now and again, his narrowed blue eyes flitting around the scene, following Riku's every move. 

Next to him, Kairi had one hand draped lightly over his armour, so lightly that he hadn't noticed, and she too was watching Riku's fight with fear. Without warning, Sora's mouth was by her ear. "Kai, stay here. I'm going in; these guys're too much for Riku."

She didn't even have enough time to blush: Within moments, the screen had become translucent as Sora raised his left arm, which held Oblivion, and he passed through as easily as if it were water. Kairi tried to follow, but to her surprise, the screen remained solid to her, even as Sora passed through.

"Sora?!"

On the other side of the screen, Sora turned around and grinned his trademark grin at her, then disappeared, a white blur that flew around the dome and clashed blades with Urahara. The twin keyblades pushed against the released zanpakutou, buying Riku enough time for him to take a potshot at Urahara, only to have him shunpo away and strike Sora's back like he had done earlier.

Yoruichi kicked outwards from the other side of the dome, and to Riku's surprise, a dagger seemed to blossom out of his left arm as he grunted in pain. "Hidden daggers…?" Reaching for it, he ripped it out of his arm, dark tendrils of energy enveloping it entirely and crushing it easily. Blood flowed freely out of his arm, but he ignored it, letting black energy circle the wound, drawing even more blood out of his arm.

'Riku, you alright?' Sora appeared out of nowhere next to Riku, his eyes on Urahara as the green-clad man shunpo-ed over the stand next to Yoruichi. He wasn't even breathing hard, his blue eyes calmly surveying the man, something which he wouldn't have been capable of even a month earlier. His mind sought out Riku's, as well as Kairi's, and the three of them joined again thanks to Namine. 'I wouldn't have thought she'd have some daggers hidden away.'

'I've been through worse, remember? We need to get Urahara away from her. I think I've discovered his secret.' Riku replied. Sora's head cocked fractionally to the side, indicating his question.

'His blood.' Riku raised Way to the Dawn, and a crimson ball of his blood, which had come from his arm wound, hovered at the tip of the onyx keyblade. The wound itself had slowed its bleeding, although it hadn't stopped. 'He fights with his blood. His defensive screen, his red energy blast, they're all his blood.'

Through the mental communication they shared, Sora felt rather than hear Kairi's gasp of horror and revulsion. He felt the same, then his mind echoed her gasp. 'Grond!'

'Grond?' Riku's mental voice echoed his and Kairi's confusion, then Riku mentally nodded. 'Ah… I see what you're getting at. Good point. But no, I don't think so. At least, not until he goes psycho and tried to kill everyone.'

'Uh… Earth to Riku? He's already trying to kill us?' Kairi piped up.

'I meant everyone. Including catgirl there.' Riku's voice held a bit of bitterness as he spoke of Yoruichi, probably because he couldn't beat a woman.

'Oh, right. Anyway, when do I get to fight?' Kairi grumbled.

'You're not fighting these two, Kai. They're way over your level, I'm not risking you. Next time we find some Heartless, we'll let you get first pick.' Sora's reply was sharp, and Kairi could _feel_ the undercurrent of something more, now that she knew how he felt, even if he himself didn't. She giggled inside herself, then mentally sighed.

'Yessir…'

'Sora, let's go.' Riku cut in on the two of them. 'We'll just finish this. Then we can worry about other things.'

Sora nodded mentally. 'Right.'

* * *

Back in the physical world, the two Wielders stood side by side, then with a flash of light; they disappeared, reappearing behind Urahara and Yoruichi. Oathkeeper, Oblivion, Way to the Dawn, and the new keyblade all struck outwards at once, and the battle was rejoined. 

As Riku disappeared from behind Yoruichi, slashing at her head as he reappeared above her, she laughed, finally speaking for the first time. "Sorry Silver! Still too slow! Shunkou!"

A blast of energy erupted from her, crackling like lightning, dancing all around her as the shoulder and back material of her orange shirt was blasted away, revealing a shoulder-less and back-less black combat suit underneath. The very reiatsu around her was concentrated until it was visible, yellow energy razing the ground, leaving craters and scorch marks as it exploded around her.

Riku was caught in the blast, sending him flying and slamming into the walls of the dome, hard. Groaning, he disappeared from his spot, barely avoiding a blindingly fast punch from the empowered Yoruichi, which would probably have taken off his head.

Urahara and Sora were meanwhile duking it out a little ways from the Yoruichi and Riku, the three blades flashing in the light of Sora's glowing wings. As Urahara leapt upwards to slash at Sora's front, he suddenly disappeared, reappearing above Sora and slashing down onto his wings. Sora on his part, spun around in mid-air, flinging out one bladed arm, spreading his wings wide, trying to knock Urahara away as Benihime careened off his Oblivion wing.

As Urahara's zanpakutou smote the air, red energy lashed out from the crimson trail left behind Benihime, which Sora dodged by shunpo-ing behind Urahara. As Urahara spun around, trying to catch Sora's attack off his blade, Sora disappeared, Oathkeeper ringing out from what was just a while ago, Urahara's front, and which was now his back, leaving a jagged line in the green haori, although it didn't harm the man.

All the while, Kairi watched in fear and apprehension, her breath catching every time Riku and Sora nearly received a telling blow. Her now aqua eyes flew from Sora to Riku to Sora again, anxiously waiting for one of them to beat their opponent. But it seemed to her that it wasn't so much a battle now as an endurance race; the first to falter will be the first to fall.

Suddenly, a massive blast of reiatsu hammered down into the cavern. The blast stopped the battlers dead in their tracks, even buckling the dome of Riku's Bankai a bit. "What the…?" Riku muttered.

Yoruichi disappeared from where she was about to deliver an uppercut punch to Riku's back, reappearing behind Urahara. "That's enough, Kisuke. Looks like Zaraki took his eyepatch off, and I think I feel Senbonzakura Kageyoshi and Daiguren Hyourinmaru. We don't have any more time. These kids are good to go."

"So… two Captains have released their Bankai already…? Interesting… I suppose it'll have to do." Kisuke mused. He flicked Benihime out to the side, and a crimson light enveloped the zanpakutou, reverting it back to the thin blade with the curved handle. Out of nowhere, his cane appeared, and he sheathed Benihime inside it skilfully, drawing out his fan from inside his robes and hiding his mouth behind it. "Well done, Sora-kun, Riku-kun, Kairi-san. You three have passed."

* * *

Uh... shades of Kakashi? xD Mind you, don't go all technical about the Sharingan on me now that I've mentioned him, I've only seen the first few eps of Naruto, and I don't know enough about it. So anyways, read and review! 


	21. Gotei 13

Well, I was hoping for more reviews if I waited, but I just couldn't wait any longer! I've had 21 burning a huge hole in my eyes as I kept looking at it, I can _almost_ guarantee that anyone who watches Bleach will _love _this Chapter. There're around ten good action scenes in here, but all of them are small, describing each of the Captains fighting. Then it stops on a nice little note, and the next chapter starts the real fighting. Hope you guys enjoy this! I've got Chapter 22 done already too... Review and you might get to see it!

**To my reviewers**  
bailkatanas: Blood? Well, you wouldn't happen to be from a blood bank now would you? Or even worse/better, the Eleventh Division? xD This chapter and later ones will hopefully fill your appetite for battle!  
The Elven-Spear: Finally! A good sentence from you! Not that I mind, considering you actually review, compared to others. xD Anyways, yes, it was pretty short, and I apologise for that. This one's even shorter, but it's nice and to the point. Hope you'll like it.  
Shire Folk: Dawn's sister? Well... yes... it _will_ be interesting... And Sora isn't exactly the brightest person. You doesn't have a clue he loves Kairi, for one thing. xD I might let Kairi open up her fustrations on a group of Heartless though... It'd be interesting. Platforms...? For some reason, I don't know what you're talking about when it comes to the platforms... o0 Personally, I don't care much for Rikuffie, but that's just me, I like how you're having them though, even though I haven't read your fic for over a month. xD Yes, this chapter's going to be action, as is the next two chapters. Maybe the next three, I don't know. Still, hope you enjoy the fic!  
werewolf21: Here's the update!  
Kee Blayd: You wanna know how much I LOL'd when I saw you review? Why's everyone from BFF coming over just to review my fic? xD Thanks though. You've given me an idea, although what it is I'm going to keep a secret for suspense purposes. Hope you enjoy this chapter, the long promised and awaited action chapter, as is the next two!

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering why there're only Hollows and no Heartless here, it's because of the 'spirit' thing. Technically, everyone there is dead, except for the trio. They get special access because of Kurai, who is also alive, although only in one sense. Well, on with the story!

* * *

The arrival of the five of them began the final push that expelled the Hollows from Soul Society, led by Ichigo and Kurai. The tall draconic angel was laughing, Betrayal carving a black arc through the sky every time it was swung, and waves of power easily overwhelmed the lesser Hollows, while the greater ones were torn in two. Ichigo, for some reason, was still in Shikai, refusing to go into Bankai. 

Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of the Sixth Division, Head of the Kuchiki Clan, and brother of Rukia, stood on the spire of the Shrine of Penitence, razor shapr cherry blossoms slicing through the air around him. His face showed no emotion as the petals reduced a Hollow to dust, his hands motionless by his sides as the petals slammed into the Vastoe Lorde, forcing it back a few paces before a Cero blast, a powerful beam or orb of Hollow energy that higher level Hollows use, forced the petals to retreat, before advancing again. The million petals of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi danced through the darkening sky, and the frontline of the Hollow invasion was decimated in seconds.

Ice shards flowed through the air as the long steel-cold blade plunged into the Vasto Lorde's arm, freezing it cold, but the wielder of the blade was forced to shunpo away as a Cero beam nearly ripped his leg off. Hitsugaya Toushiro, the young shinigami who had met the Wielders at the gates of Seireitei, Captain of the Tenth Division, slashed the air before him, the wings of pure ice that sprouted from his back along with the whipping ice tail sending gusts of wind that froze the Hollows where they stood. The ice wrapped around him similar to how the armour had surrounded Sora, forming two wings and a tail, as well as travelling down both arms. His zanpakutou, Hyourinmaru, the most powerful ice elemental zanpakutou in Soul Society, was fixed to his right arm by the icy head of a dragon, and the ice continued to travel down his left arm, coming out into the claws of a dragon over his own hand. Spinning around, ice poured from the frosty blade, instantly freezing a number of Hollows to death.

A howl of pain echoed up from where a bloodbath marked the spot of the Eleventh Division. Captain of the Eleventh Division Zaraki Kenpachi, Vice-Captain of the Eleventh Division Kusajishi Yachiru, Third Seat of the Eleventh Division Madarame Ikakku, and Fifth Seat of the Eleventh Division Ayasegawa Yumichika laughed in glee, or at least Zaraki, Yachiru and Ikakku did, while Yumichika merely chuckled softly, the effeminate man brushing dust delicately off his robes, fixing up another peacock feather above his eyebrow. All around them Hollows lay injured, since dead Hollows disintegrated into spirit particles. Most of them were already in their death throes, while other were picking themselves up, eager for a revenge they would never get as Zaraki's nameless zanpakutou or Ikakku's three-sectional spear shore them in two.

Soifon, Captain of the Second Division and Commander of the Special Forces, was quickly joined by Yoruichi, who she had once served under, and together, they cleared the immediate area of Hollows, Soifon's zanpakutou, Suzumebachi, taking the form of what looked like a metal finger-glove that slid onto her own finger, tipped with a deadly poison. The power of her zanpakutou was that should she stab the same area of an opponent's body twice, it would result in instant death, no matter their power. The miniscule size of her zanpakutou and the fact that it must be stabbed twice into the opponent's body hindered her ability to use it frequently, but her skill with it and its poisons meant that she herself was pretty much immune to poisons, and that combined with her skill in hand-to hand fighting and shunpo, which was surpassed only by Yoruichi, meant that she was worthy of the title of both Captain and Commander.

From behind the frontlines, the Captain of the Fourth Division, Unohana Retsu, watched calmly, her long braided hair resting on her robes, her long zanpakutou slung casually over her shoulder. Raising one hand, she mouthed silent words, then with a gentle sweep of her arm, a green rain fell softly onto the shinigami warriors, healing their wounds and restoring their energy as the Captain of the Healing Division blessed them. Shinigami near death found themselves merely injured, while those injured found themselves at full strength, and those who were strong to begin with easily overpowered their enemies.

Ichigo, Captain of the Fifth Division, swung Zangetsu outwards, a roaring wave of energy blazing a trail of dead bodies through to the Vasto Lorde, yet glancing off its armour. He swore, shunpo-ing behind the Hollow that had started small, but had grown to an immeasurable size, and tore a gaping hole inn its back, only to have it heal in seconds. Flashing to its head, he plunged the massive unsealed zanpakutou down, but was thrown off by a mighty hand. Cursing, he righted himself mid-throw, and launched himself at the Vasto Lorde again, aided by Kurai who fired blast of black flame all around it.

The beastly howl of a wild animal echoed around the headquarters of the Seventh Division, and Komamura Saijin, the inhuman Captain of the Seventh Division, swung his zanpakutou in all directions, smashing massive holes in the Hollow ranks as the Division which was closest to the gates rallied itself and pushed back outwards, lead by Tetsuzaemon Iba, Vice-Captain of the Seventh Division. "Bankai!" Komamura threw his head back and howled, raising Tenken, his zanpakutou, towards the sky. A sword five times as long as the towering Captain's height smashed down, destroying more than fifty Hollows in a single blow as the giant suit of armour formed behind Komamura, its feet creating shockwaves and craters with every step, impenetrable armour and its mighty sword cleaving its way through to the Vasto Lorde. "Kokujou Tengen Myou'ou!"

"Hana kaze midarete, kashin naki, tenpuu midarete, tenma warau, Katen Kyoukatsu." One of only two pairs of twin zanpakutou in Soul Society raised its voice to the winds as Kyouraku Shunsui, Captain of the Eighth Division, flung off his pink haori, revealing the white haori of the Captains underneath. The two zanpakutou he carried warped and distorted, pink and white light enveloping both blades. When the light faded, two massive falchions were in his hands, nearly twice as wide as the katanas he had wielded previously. Swinging both blades forward, a tornado ripped a Menos Grande from head to toe. As it screamed in agony, Kyouraku looked away, swinging one of his blades down. Pink cherry blossoms and red maple leaves danced through the whirling maelstrom, tearing the Gillian apart. For the first time in a hundred years, the Captain of the Eighth and his counter-part, the Captain of the Thirteenth unleashed their true strength.

"Nami kotogotoku waga tate to nare, ikazuchi kotogotoku waga yaiba to nare, Sougyo no Kotowari!" The second pair of twin zanpakutou was only revealed when Ukitake Juushiro shouted aloud the release of his zanpakutou, and the single zanpakutou he carried split in two, their hilts connected by a long red cord, on which hung several small charms. The blades themselves remained similar to their original katana styling, but this time the base of the blade near the hilt was covered in blunt metal, while a strange protrusion extended on the blunt edge of the blade back towards Ukitake. Although the white-haired Captain of the Thirteenth Division suffered from tuberculosis, Unohana had taken pains in ensuring his battle-worthiness after the Vasto Lorde had appeared, as they would need every blade they could get. Water flowed along the blades to soak several Hollows to the bone, then a cry from Ukitake sent a bolt of lightning dancing down his blades, utilizing the conductor to incinerate the unfortunate enemies.

"Interesting… These Hollows will make good research material… If only those hard-faced barbarians wouldn't be so hard-handed." The masked face of the Captain of the Twelfth Division, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, set hard as a Cero blast from a Menos Adjuchas blew his left hand off. Calmly injecting himself in the stump of his left arm, a new arm sprouted, which he used to click a small device he had hidden in his robes. Instantly, the hidden bombs in the clothing of those shinigami in the Twelfth Division exploded, killing them and all Hollows in the vicinity in a massive explosion. Mayuri appeared unconcerned by this inhumane act of destruction, reaching for the hilt of his zanpakutou, which was strapped above his groin. "Bankai." A gigantic deformed baby head appeared out of nowhere behind him, followed by the immense body of a giant caterpillar. A grotesque halo circled around the head of the baby, whose eyes had no pupils, being purely milky white. Swords bristled from around its neck, which impaled the nearest Hollows, and its very breath was a purple cloud, poison made from Mayuri's own blood, which had no cure but the one vial in the Vice-Captain badge of his 'daughter', who he had created, Kurotsuchi Nemu. "Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou."

Flames roared up around Yamamoto Genryusai Shigenkuni, the most powerful shinigami anyone had ever known, as Ryuujin Jakka melted a team of Menos Adjuchas in a single swipe. Disappearing from where he stood, red lines in the air were all that could be seen of the old shinigami as he sunpo-ed around the area, before reappearing back where he had started. He stood motionless for a moment, than flames burst out anew on Ryuujin Jakka, and a massive gash appeared on the back of the Vasto Lorde, bursting into flame and making it roar in agony. Without saying a word, he raised a hand, and Higetsu Hyoka Dokaze Suizuchi, the level ninety nine Destructive Art, encompassing all eight elements, slammed into the Vasto Lorde as a pentacle surrounded it, bombarding it with light, darkness, ice, fire, earth, wind, water and lightning all together.

With a pained screech, the Vasto Lorde disappeared from view, reappearing in the back of the Hollow ranks. There, to the horror of most of the assembled shinigami, it devoured rows upon rows of its fellow Hollows, growing in size until it towered over the Shrine of Pentinence, until even Byakuya, who stood upon its spire, had to raise his head to look at it.

"Bankai." Ichigo stood motionless for a second, then a massive reiatsu, even larger than that of Yamamoto and Zaraki without his eyepatch, blasted out from all around him, whirling around in a whirlpool of conflicting energy. Lesser Hollows were completely evaporated by its pure force, and his hazel eyes glowed blue with his inner legacy. Lifting Zangetsu up so that it was pointing straight at the Vasto Lorde's head, his reiatsu suddenly stopped billowing out, and the lesser shinigami were allowed to breathe again. Zangetsu started to glow with a brilliant pale blue light, then the light exploded out in an enormous beam of kidou energy. The beam smashed straight into the Vasto Lorde's head, sending it stumbling back a few paces despite its massive size. A whirlwind erupted around Ichigo, the dust thrown up obscuring him from view, but Kurai's silver eyes shore through the debris, and the sight of what was within made him grin.

"Vizard… eh?"

"Tensa Zangetsu." As the wind whipped away from around him, Ichigo stood in the middle of a clearing, a crater blasted out from his own reiatsu pressure. Instead of the white Captain haori and the traditional black shinigami robes, Ichigo was dressed entirely in black, long flowing robes cinched at the waist, long black sleeves, chest wrapped in bandages, Ichigo's Bankai zanpakutou seemed merely a fraction of his Shikai's power, the blade reduced in size from a massive meat cleaver to a long thin sword, entirely black in color, strikingly similar to Kurai's Betrayal. Instead of the long white cloth that usually hung from the pommel of his Shikai, a broken length of chain hung from his Bankai, clinking softly in the wind.

Kurai laughed out loud from his vantage point high in the air, even with the Vasto Lorde's head. "Smart kid. Taking it off at the last moment, but using it to increase his strength slightly, so that no one will know your dark secret. You've improved, Ichigo." Raising Betrayal, he laughed again. "Guess I should turn it up a notch, eh?" Black energy cascaded around him, driving even the Vasto Lorde away from it with its purity in darkness. "Fallen Form."

Instead of his usual clothing, Kurai was clad entirely in black, black light and flames dancing along his whole body, black lightning all around him, the very air distorted from his dark aura. Betrayal lengthened more than twice its already impressive length, at least eight metres of black dragon steel swinging lightly through the air as Kurai vanished, reappearing almost instantly at Ichigo's side, his speed escalating even Yoruichi's.

And so it was when Sora, Riku, and Kairi arrived, the black and white metallic wings of Sora, the dark dome of Riku, and the vibrant natural blades of Kairi, met with the twin black blades of the Angel and the Masked Death God.

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Now remember, I've already got Chapter 22 done. All I need is a little... _prompting_ to put it on. Get reviewing! xD 


	22. Sakura Rage

Well, this chapter's short. Very short. But hey, it's action-packed, as much as I could fit into it. Don't worry, it's a build-up to what's possibly my longest chapter yet. So enjoy!

**To my reviewers:**  
bailkatanas: Wow... thanks for the compliment. I liked that chapter too, although I don't think I did enough justice to any of their strengths.  
BlackChaos105: Yeah, the Bleach Arc's been dragging on quite a bit now... I guess I'll have to finish it soon, won't I? As for a bloodbath, the next chapter will make the assault on Radiant Garden look like a small water bomb compared to a nova!  
werewolf21: Heh, no worries. I enhoyed writing it thoroughly. Let's hope this one i up to your tastes.  
blazer227: New reviewer eh? Interesting. Hop you enjoy the fic, and if you do, Kairi will be returned promptly.  
Shire Folk: I'm sorry, I haven't gone that far in your fic yet. I haven't had time to read any fics for the past two months or more, so I've really behind. But it sounds like a good idea. As for how intense it is, you'll have to see for yourself.  
SauronBane: Well, Ichigo can't have them finding out that he's a forbidden one now can he? Hope you continue to enjoy this fic, Sauron!  
The Elven-Spear: Massive fight scene in this chapter, twenty new fight scenes in the next! Read on!

Well, with that said, have fun with the fic! Enjoy the story!

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"Kurai? Is that… you?" Sora looked astounded by Kurai's new form, as well as Ichigo's. Turning to Ichigo, he asked, "What happened to that massive sword of yours?" 

Ichigo laughed. "This is it. Anyways, we've got no time to catch up. I see you three got yourselves Bankai. Good on you. I didn't think it'd be possible, but hey, nice to be proved wrong."

Kairi gasped as she saw the massive Hollow they were facing. "Is that… a Vasto Lorde…?"

Kurai nodded as they all gazed up at it. "Yeah, that's it alright. Mean little bastards. They take a while to take down too. Hope this one won't take that long."

The Vasto Lorde roared, a Cero beam gathering in its mouth. Aiming down at Yamamoto, it discharged the beam, sending a purple blast down at the seemingly frail shinigami. Yamamoto for his part, simply raised Ryuujin Jakka. The flames pouring off the blade coupled with the old shinigami's reiatsu repelled the Cero effortlessly, sending it flying towards the multitude of Gillians behind it, destroying a few instantly.

"Let's go!" shouted Ichigo. A blink of an eye later, he was gone, far above their heads, Tensa Zangetsu a black blur as he delivered strike after strike to the creature threatening his home. His body flickering, never staying in the same place for longer than a second, the Captain of the Fifth Division single-handedly drove the Vasto Lorde back a few paces, and only Kurai could see the white mask with red streaks on his face at the distance that he was at.

"Kurai… what was that? That wasn't shunpo…?" Kairi was staring open-mouthed at the inhuman speed that Ichigo was exhibiting, sometimes running vertically up the Vasto Lorde's back, sometimes seeming to even fly as he pressed his speed even higher.

Kurai laughed. "Nup. That's just plain Ichigo. Normally, Bankai extends your own power, and the size of the Bankai is usually at least twice the size of your Shikai, in other words stuff like Urahara's Benihime. Ichigo on the other hand, compresses the power of his Shikai into a smaller shape, reducing the weight he has to carry around, thus increasing his speed well over that of shunpo. Plus, he has help from 'other' sources which I've promised him not to reveal."

Sora gaped. "You mean Urahara was fighting us using his Shikai while we were in Bankai? And he was still forcing us back?"

Kurai laughed again. "So he fought you did he? Interesting. Apparently he did the same to Ichigo, except that was for Ichigo's Shikai." Their conversation was cut short by a shout. "Getsuga… TENSHOU!"

The explosion that followed the shout was immense, a shockwave of gigantic proportions blasting outwards from where the Vasto Lorde stood as it was blown backwards by the force of the attack, a black aura with blue highlights and just a hint of gold surrounding Ichigo where he was slowly dropping back to the ground, the mask on his face gone. "Heh… where were you guys?"

Sora glanced at Riku and Kairi, who nodded. "Right behind you."

Spreading his wings, Sora took to the air, marvelling at the new use for his wings, which he hadn't had enough time to experience back in the cavern. With but a thought, he could manoeuvre himself anywhere, and within moments he was by Ichigo's side, who had taken the fight back to the Vasto Lorde. A few rogue cherry blossoms from Senbonzakura Kageyoshi flew gently past him, yet the minute they made contact with the Vasto Lorde's skin, their very passing left holes in its flesh. Raising Oathkeeper, he struck forward, followed by a quick slash with Oblivion. Disappearing mid-slash, he reappeared above its head, slashing forward with both blades in the shape of an 'X', sending a blast of black and white energy at the Hollow.

Riku, looking up at the Vasto Lorde, frowned. " How'm I suppose to get him in this?" Slamming his fist into the ground, his dome erupted around him, trapping a few Hollows inside with him. Within seconds, they were gone, disintegrated into spirit particles shorn free by the dancing blades.

"Need some help?"

Looking behind him, Riku saw to his surprise that Kurai was standing beside him. "How did you get in?" he demanded.

"Easy. Your darkness is like to mine; only mine is stronger. Only a few beings have more darkness than the Wielder of Dawn, and I am one of them. Anyways, I can help out, but ya gotta pass on the Vasto. Just take care of the midgets." Kurai walked around the dome as he said this, occasionally picking up a blade of darkness, then sticking it back in the ground, as well as tapping the walls of the dome. Clapping his hands together, he grinned. "Should be easy enough. Ready, Riku?"

At Riku's nod, Kurai knelt down, placing his palm right on the ground. Muttering a few choice words created a glowing glyph under him, and with a slight grunt, he pushed his palm further into the ground with a loud thump, causing darkness energy to overflow from his palm into the ground. As the darkness spread along the ground, it drew Riku's dome wider, crawling under the feet of several Hollows, trapping them inside. Still it grew, and when Kurai plunged a second palm into the ground, the darkness exploded, flying outwards, trapping whole legions of Hollows within it.

Riku grinned dangerously at the cowering Hollows, Way to the Dawn and the un-named keyblade glittering in the little light that managed to get in, although the dome itself gave off a slight violet glow. "Thanks Kurai. I'll let Sora have the fun this time. These guys are toast."

Kurai laughed, clapping Riku lightly on his shoulder as he disappeared, whispering, "Give them hell." Within moments, he was out in the dying sunlight, the now immensely long blade of Betrayal hefted easily over his shoulder, Even from a distance, he easily disembowelled a couple of Hollows, before joining the fight against the Vasto Lorde.

Kairi flung her hand forward, a creeper vine like the one that had whacked Sora on the head crashing down on the numerous Hollows within reach. Leaping into the air, she instinctively knew what to do, even though she hadn't had her Bankai for very long. Hovering in the air motionless for a while, she started to dance, flower petals appearing from nowhere as her hand traced intricate patterns in the air, her feet creating grass and flowers whenever they landed on an invisible stage. On the ground around her, the dance rejuvenated the flame-torched ground, sending shoots up, vines emerging from below the crisp ground. Hollows were dragged into the ground to suffocate, vines strangled the living. Thorns pierced through their masks, and the petals shore gaps in their skin.

* * *

"Bankai!" The shout of the enraged shinigami rang throughout the field, drawing the attention of all the shinigami present. "Hihiou Zabimaru!" The massive skeletal snake that roared up from the centre of the battlefield caught Ichigo's attention immediately, as did the shinigami's next shout. "Ichigo! Ichigo, get your ass over here!" 

With furious roars and sweeping blows, the huge snake cleared the immediate area of Hollows, as did the blast of a Getsuga Tenshou from a Bankai Ichigo. Disappearing and reappearing at intervals all through the air due to his speed, Ichigo appeared before the red-haired shinigami, Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division, Abarai Renji. But his eyes were drawn towards the shinigami who lay on the ground, covered in blood.

"RUKIA!"

Within moments, Byakuya had arrived, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi forming a defensive wall around the four of them as the Hollows decided to take a chance and attack, only to be torn apart from the million petals. Kurai appeared next to them as well, his face grim as he stared at the fallen Vice-Captain. "What happened?" he asked, his voice strained, his words clipped.

Renji shook his head wearily, his shoulders drooping. "I don't know! All I know is that I heard her scream, and when I came here, she was lying there like that!"

Byakuya knelt down, his normally cold hands gently turning his sister over, despite having ruthlessly condemned her to death fifty years ago. His hands stopped over a round raw wound in her stomach, bleeding profusely. Standing back up, the Captain said one word. "Cero."

Ichigo's eyes blazed. Turning around, he ran straight at Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. Getsuga Tenshou ripped him a clear way through, and he disappeared, reappearing above the Vasto Lorde, the mask of the Vizard on his face. "GETSUGA TENSHOU!" he screamed, slashing forward, a blast that was nearly the size of the Vasto Lorde itself crashing into the huge Hollow, forcing it to its knees.

Kurai sighed, then turned to Byakuya and Renji. "I'll go get Unohana, then stop Ichigo from killing himself." He winced, feeling the strong reiatsu from the enraged Captain of the Fifth growing by the minute. "And fast. I'll see ya later." His body flickered, and he disappeared, leaving behind Byakuya and Renji, who were both at a loss of words, not that Byakuya ever spoke much anyway.

Sora, Kairi and Riku came running in, but stopped short at the sight of a pink sword made entirely out of razor sharp cherry blossoms and the fearsome head of a skeletal snake in their faces.

"I don't know who you are, but your arrival triggered all this." Byakuya spoke evenly. "If it will take ending your lives to force this threat to retreat, I will gladly destroy you."

"If you're the ones who brought the damn Hollows here, I'll rip you apart!" Renji's hands shook as he raised Hihiou Zabimaru, the strain of trying to keep himself from attacking the trio evident.

In a flash, Ichigo was there in front of them, his Vizard mask gone. Tensa Zangetsu was raised before the teens, as he stood between them and Byakuya and Renji. "Don't touch them." His now glowing eyes stared even Byakuya down, who was known for his stoic reserve and calmness. "Or I'll _kill_ you."

Suddenly, a green aura settled gently around the dome of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. With a flick of his hand, Byakuya transformed his Bankai to its next stage, Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. A dome much like Riku's surrounded them, the multitude of cherry blossoms forming together into swords like the one he was holding, one thousand deadly blades dancing in a slow rhythm around the seven people. To their relief, the reiatsu that exploded and forced its way through the dome was that of Kurai, the darkness melding with the black of Byakuya's dome and slowly tearing it out, opening a path for the Healing Captain to enter.

Byakuya shot Kurai a look. "How? Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi can not be opened by external means. How did you enter?"

Kurai grinned and winked. "It's a secret."

Unohana walked calmly over to the gasping body of Rukia as she struggled for breath, her eyes wild, yet unseeing. Behind her, Isane Kotetsu shadowed her, the Vice-Captain of the Fourth Division gingerly stepping through the rivers of blood that marred the once beautiful plains of Soul Society. "Kuchiki-taichou? If you would please?" Unohana's voice somehow managed to calm everyone down, and Byakuya, after glancing down one last time at his sister, moved aside, his eyes returning to glare at the Destiny Island trio.

"I think we should get out of here. The battle's not yet over." Kurai's low voice sounded by Sora's ear, but when he turned, he was already at Byakuya's side, speaking in a low hurried, and from what Sora could gather, worried, tone of voice. Byakuya's eyes opened wide, and he nodded. He turned to Renji and told him something that caused the Vice-Captain to grip the hilt of his Bankai tightly. Turning back to Kurai, he nodded, once.

Kairi, who was still gazing horrified at Rukia, was brought out of her reverie by a light tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Sora by her side, with Kurai, Riku, Renji and Ichigo standing by the dome of Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. "C'mon Kairi. Let's go. I think she works best alone." Kairi nodded, turning to follow Sora. As she looked back over her shoulder while walking out through a small opening Byakuya created, she saw Unohana chanting softly, a low humming song, and although she wasn't sure if she imagined it, she liked to think that she felt more than heard Rukia singing along in a surprisingly sweet voice.

* * *

Once out of the dome, Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi closed up again, sealing Byakuya, Rukia, Unohana and Isane inside. The minute they were out in the open again, Ichigo disappeared, black streaks of energy in the sky showing his progress as he created Getsuga Tenshou's, then outran them, creating more as he did. Appearing in an omni-directional figure around the Vasto Lorde, hundreds of Getsuga Tenshou's rained down upon the strongest Hollow Hueco Mundo possessed, sending it to its knees as Ichigo's eyes blazed gold behind his Vizard mask. Kurai clapped Sora on the shoulder, then disappeared as well, just as a mocking laugh drifted across the field. 

"It is useless. You cannot hold back the forces of Aizen-sama any longer. Soon you will tire, and then the Arrancar will attack. The Vasto Lorde was just a warm-up!"

The teens heard a gasp next to them, and turned to see Renji shaking in fear, his eyes wide and staring, his Bankai drooping on the ground. "N… N- No… It… It can't be true!" His eyes narrowed, and he shouted. "DIE!" Hihiou Zabimaru tore a rending wave through the ground, ripping through the Hollows, then when it had stretched out to its considerable length, Renji snapped his wrist, causing the huge skeletal snake to thrash about, wiping out a whole legion of Hollows. And then they saw them.

Behind the writhing mass of Hollows, four white-robed figures stood, gazing out at the Vasto Lorde calmly. One was large, a huge beef of a man, while the rest were slim. One of the others held a massive scythe that looked like two crescent moons back to back, and one of them had blue hair.

"Arrancar…" murmured Renji. "Soul King save us…"

* * *

Interesting? I apologize for the short chapter, possibly the shortest I've ever done, but the next chapter is long, very long, possibly the longest. Review, and you might get to see it! 


	23. Angels Never Die

The moment you've all been waiting for. This is one of the chapters I enjoy doing most, ranked up there with the attaining of Bankai and the assault on Radiant Garden. Action-packed, this is the conclusion to the fight for Soul Society, although it WILL leave a few strings dangling...Oh, and time for a shameless advertisement: For those who want Bleach action, check out my fic, Attack of the Vasto Lorde! Check my profile for the link.

**To my reviewers:  
**Shire Folk: Anyone who've seen the anime and/or read the manga will know just how powerful the Espada, and Arrancars in general, are. Beware, there're spoilers for those who watch the anime only, although those who read the manga won't be spoiled.  
BlackChaos105: Hey, it's the only sure-fire way to get reviews now isn't it? xD Blood will flow in this chapter, and lots of it. And it's got a nice ending too...  
werewolf21: Hope this chap will increase your disposition to this fic!  
The Elven-Spear: YAY!!  
bailkatanas: Thanks. This is the longest chapter I've written yet, hope you like it.  
boobanshee: I decided to exchange human intelligence for animal cunning in this particular Vasto Lorde's case, and the act of devouring its own comrades, which happen to be Gillians, lowered its intelligence considerably. It wouldn't be right for this particular Vasto Lorde to be all witty and stuff, although you've just given me an idea. I haven't gotten that far in the anime yet, I'm still hovering around the Bount arc, and I can't be bothered going all the way through. A lot of the information I've got here are off Wikipedia. xD But hey, s'long as it works, no?

Well, now that that's over, fic time!

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Kurai sighed as he gazed at the Arrancar. "Y'know, they turn up at the worst possible times." Swinging Betrayal through the air, the blade shrunk down, returning to its usual length, although it was still longer than average even in its normal form. His black robes melted away, replaced by his normal flowing dark silver robes. "Ichigo, leave the Vasto to me. Go after the Arrancar. With Byakuya and Unohana tied up, we're two Captains short, and we never had too many to begin with, what with those three deserting."

Ichigo appeared at his side, this time with his Vizard mask on, and for the first time, the teens saw just how fearsome he looked while wearing it, his golden eyes narrowed. "Kurai, what're you going to do?" His eyes suddenly snapped opened wide. "Tenshi…?"

Kurai nodded, his face grim, yet his mouth set in a smirk, silver eyes dancing. "Yup. This'll be fun; it's been a while since I last fought someone on this level by myself. Get the kids out of the way, and the other shinigami as well. Oh, and you left it on."

Ichigo nodded. "I'll take it off when we get within sight. I don't think I can hide it for much longer, Kurai. Not if I have to continue fighting like this."

Kurai shrugged. "We'll deal with that when we come to it. And if they decide to fight, I'll lend ya a hand." He grinned. "The word of the Fallen Angel should count for something, no?"

Ichigo held out a hand, which Kurai grasped. "Take care." With that, he disappeared, a black blur that flashed across the landscape, speed breaking the sound barrier and creating a sonic boom that wiped out some more minor Hollows. Reappearing behind the kids, they suddenly found themselves in front of the shinigami assembled, without even being aware that they had moved. "Stay here." Ichigo said. "I promise Kurai to take care of you. And I spent good money on your training." His mask had somehow disappeared during his flight, and they saw the slight grin on his face, but they also saw the lines that were etched into his brow. "Promise me you'll stay here."

Sora hesitated a moment, then a bright glow surrounded him and the wings and armour of his Bankai disappeared, Oblivion and Oathkeeper hanging in his grasp. He nodded. Riku followed suit, clicking his fingers and withdrawing the dome that Kurai had helped stretch to cover the entire field. The flowers wrapped around Kairi, then faded away, revealing her in her normal clothes. With that, Ichigo disappeared, shreds of white following the black blur as the white and black mask reformed.

With a flash of light, all six keyblades disappeared, and Riku finally had a chance to relax. Delving into his mind, he sought out Dawn, only to find her sitting with an astonishingly beautiful girl, probably about his own age. She smiled at him, and he felt a little weak at his knees, although true to form, he didn't show it.

"So, you're Dawn's sister?" he asked, settling himself comfortably on the bench the other two were sitting on. He didn't recall there being one there when he was fighting Dawn back when trying to attain Bankai, but then again, he suppose the keyblades would be able to modify the interior to their liking, else it would be terribly boring.

The girl gently stroked back her silver hair behind her ears, and her red eyes flashed across to gaze at Riku. "Yes. My name is…" her voice trailed off into static, and she frowned.

Riku was confused as well. "Why can I hear Dawn's name and not yours?" he asked.

Suddenly, to their horror, the girl started to fade away, her face a mirror of shock. Then a look of understanding came on her face. "I am not yours to wield, Wielder of Dawn. You are the Wielder of Dawn, but when you call out the name of your friend, the Wielder of Dusk felt your need, and she sent me. You are Dusk and she is Dawn. My sister will lead you to her, for she is the Way to the Dawn. I cannot tell you my name. I am not yours to wield…" Her voice faded away, and the last of her visage disappeared.

Riku turned to stare open-mouthed at Dawn, who looked similarly stunned. "Did you know…?"

Dawn shook her head. "I had NO idea." She took a look at Riku's face and her face changed from stupefied to amusement, then to mischievous glee. "You like her."

Riku blushed to the roots of his silver hair. "What?!"

Dawn threw her head back and laughed out loud. "I knew it! You've been wielding me for so long, I've gotten used to reading your mind! You like her!"

Riku stood up, face crimson. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about! I mean, we never even talked!"

Dawn grinned evilly. "Oh? You were the one who rejected her in the first place, no?"

Suddenly, a blast of spirit energy from the physical world erupted through the planes, so powerful that it even reached into Riku's private world. The black spirit energy was familiar. "Kurai…!" cried Riku.

"Get outta here, we've got a battle to fight!" For a moment, Dawn's face transformed into that of an angel, but one with such a look on her face that it suddenly wasn't hard for Riku to imagine that she and one of the most powerful darkness keyblades were the same. In an instant, he was back out in the material world, and what he saw scared him more than anything, not even when Saix had kidnapped Kairi, not even when he took the blow that was meant for Sora, not even when he was fighting Xemnas, when the fate of the Worlds rested on his and Sora's shoulders. This was true fear.

* * *

Darkness. There was nothing but darkness. Not even Ansem had this much darkness within him, not even Riku could feel comfortable in this darkness. It wasn't even darkness in a sense, it was just nothing. Touching his eyes, he couldn't see his fingers. There was no sound. There was nothing.

Then a blaze of black flame roared up in the distance, and by its dim glow, Riku managed to make out shapes, although he still couldn't hear anything. Everything seemed to have stopped in his brief visit to his inner world, and furtive glances told him that everyone was looking in the same direction. He looked in the same direction, and his fear multiplied tenfold, along with a strange sensation deep within him.

The dragon and the angel had become one. Kurai was floating in the sky above the Vasto Lorde, mighty black wings outstretched. Above him flew a dragon, solid black, with golden eyes. Every breath it took exhaled flames, and teeth and claws like swords flashed in the black flame that was rising from Kurai's hand, powerful onyx wings beating the air to stay afloat. In his other hand, Betrayal hummed, the dragon blade pointing towards the ground. Obsidian tendrils of lava were rising slowly from cracks in the ground, spiralling around the blade as Kurai laughed. But there was no malice in the sound. It was merely the laugh of someone who was enjoying himself, not the mocking laugh of a demon. It broke the spell, causing everyone around Riku to start moving again.

"The angel and the dragon…" murmured Renji, who was standing by them, his eyes fixed on Kurai. "I've only ever heard of it… I've never seen it happen before. The only ones who have are those who were in the Hollow Influx five hundred years ago, when the Fallen Angel brought death on the wind to the Hollows who threatened to destroy Soul Society. It was the Hollows' fear of the Fallen Angel that has brought Soul Society peace for most of the five hundred years. I've never thought I would see this… Not till I die defending Soul Society."

Charcoal feathers were beginning to float in the air around the angel, and a white light shone down from the sky, landing right on Kurai. For a moment, the three Wielders thought they saw two figures in the light, standing on the air behind Kurai, but a blink later they were gone. The beam of light slowly grew thinner, until it disappeared altogether, but a single orb of pure light was left behind, floating in the air. Kurai reached out with his free hand, grasping it. A light squeeze, and the ball of light was absorbed into himself. In the Vasto Lorde's eyes was an emotion it had never felt before, and one that it would probably never feel again, the feeling of fear.

Suddenly, the four Arrancar waiting on the other side of the field acted. With a burst of static, the sound that accompanied their version of shunpo, called sonido, they ran towards Kurai, Cero beams cleaving the sky. A burst of black, and Ichigo stood between them and Kurai, effortlessly deflecting the Cero's back at the Arrancar. The four Arrancar slowed, the elite of the Arrancar, the Espada, surrounding him, their zanpakutous slung carelessly in their sheaths. Ichigo grinned behind his mask as he glanced around. "Ulquiorra, Nnoitra, Grimmjow, Yammy. Nice to see you four again."

"Kurosaki Ichigo… This time… I WILL KILL YOU!" Grimmjow, the blue-haired Espada, ranked 6th out of all Arrancar in Hueco Mundo, drew his zanpakutou, shouting to the wind, "Now grind… PANTERA!" Jaguar-like armour covered the fit body of the Espada, his blue hair lengthening down to the small of his back. The remnants of his Hollow mask, a piece of the jaw-bone, disappeared, while a crown of bone appeared on his head. Instead of normal human-like feet, he now had the paws of a panther, while his ears too lengthened to cat-like proportions. A long sinewy tail and armoured claws on his hands completed his transformation, and the Resurreccion Espada roared out loud, the very strength of his roar creating a shockwave of air pressure.

Ichigo grinned, and shreds of black material formed a sheath in his hand. Sheathing Tensa Zangetsu, he drew it with his trademark Bankai speed, causing his own shockwave to occur, negating Grimmjow's roar. "The same thing won't work twice, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques!"

Spinning around, Tensa Zangetsu rang out, careening into the bare fist of Ulquiorra Schiffer, ranked 4th of all Espada in Aizen's army of Arrancar. "Ulquiorra…" growled Ichigo. "Attacking from behind? You haven't gotten cowardly since we last fought have you?"

"As long as the target is killed, what does it matter?" was the calm reply of the Espada as he sonido-ed back to fill in a corner of the square that Ichigo was surrounded in. Yammy laughed. Slamming his fists into the ground, the 10th Espada, weakest of the Espada, but possibly the physically strongest, opened his mouth, sending a Cero beam flying at Ichigo. To his surprise, Ichigo raised his own hand, forming a purple ball of energy. "No... way…!"

"Cero." Ichigo grinned behind his mask as he said it, his Cero blast flying to meet Yammy's, disintegrating it instantly and continuing on its route, slamming into the gut of the Espada. In the blink of an eye, Ichigo had disappeared from the centre of the Arrancar, Tensa Zangetsu shearing black arcs through the sky. Getsuga Tenshou's flew through the air to smash into Yammy, slicing off both his arms and giving him a deep gash in his stomach, forcing him to his knees as Ichigo turned to block the scythe blow of Nnoitra. Manoeuvring Tensa Zangetsu with skill worthy of the Captain of the Fifth Division, he forced the cunning Espada back, before disappearing from his advantageous position, appearing behind Ulquiorra just as Grimmjow appeared from nowhere, his fist embedded in the ground where he had been just milliseconds before.

"Four against one eh? I like those odds." Ichigo grinned behind his mask, his left hand gripping the wrist of his right, the black reiatsu of his Bankai a sharp contrast to the bluish white of his Shikai roaring up around him. Grimmjow appeared behind him suddenly, the release of his Arrancar zanpakutou granting power to equal Ichigo, energy blasts from his claws ripping through the air, aimed for Ichigo's head.

"DIE!" 

* * *

Kurai opened his hand, the orb of light that he had absorbed earlier hovering in mid-air above his palm. Lifting Betrayal, the lava trailing behind it, he touched the base of the blade to the light, then dragged it through, coating the whole blade with the light. Then with a gust of wind, he disappeared, dragging the long black dragon blade down the height of the Vasto Lorde, while the dragon breathed purgatory flames down at the Hollow.

At the bottom, Kurai spun around, his free hand opening a rip in the dimension as naturally as breathing. Those who had never seen him do it before watched in wonder, and those who had, knowing the wonders that could be stored inside, collectively held their breaths. But what they had expected could never match what Kurai did next.

"Yuuki wo tsubasa no shitte, Umou. Bankai."

Puling out a long thin sword almost identical to Betrayal, except for its normal coloring compared to Betrayal's black hue, Kurai lazily swung it over his shoulder, laying it down straight on his back. With a burst of light, the sword exploded, and a new pair of wings materialized above Kurai's existing pair, pushing the black wings down. The effect was stunning; like an angel out of a myth, Kurai now had two pairs of wings, a white pair above a black pair, and as he flung Betrayal up at the Vasto Lorde's head, they started to glow, the white pair with a black glow, and the black pair with a white glow.

"Tenshi no Tsubasa. Senhane no Mae."

Feathers appeared out of nowhere, dancing through the darkening sky, snow and coal trading partners as they slowly sliced through the Vasto Lorde, Betrayal now firmly embedded in its mask. Rising slowly up to his black dragon blade, Kurai gripped the hilt. Instantly, the head of the dragon roared, and the blade itself glowed white hot, burning into the Vasto Lorde's head, before releasing enough energy to blown up the huge Hollow, tearing it apart from inside out.

Sinking slowly back down to the ground, Kurai grinned as his white wings disappeared, reforming into the long thin sword, which he casually tossed back into a newly ripped dimension hole. "Game over." He then turned around, his eyes narrowed as he watched Ichigo fight. 

* * *

Disappearing and reappearing at intervals all around the field, Ichigo led the Arrancar a merry dance, the slain body of Yammy being used to good effect as Ichigo hid behind it on more than one occasion, causing the Cero beams of the Espada to hit it. He had surmised that since killing Yammy was the easiest, he should do it as early as possible, and it took only a Vizard-empowered Getsuga Tenshou at point-blank range to his head to ensure the 10th Espada would never rise again.

Utilizing his speed to its highest, Ichigo created multiple Getsuga Tenshou's in the air, knowing he could outrun them, and once he was satisfied with the ten blades of pure dark energy, he leapt in, infuriating Grimmjow enough to keep him in his spot until all ten hit their target, sending the 6th Espada to his knees, gasping for breath. Turning around, Ulquiorra's steel fist hammered into Tensa Zangetsu, and Ichigo grinned as a Cero beam barely missed him, Nnoitra readying another from out of his range.

Suddenly, Sora's eyes narrowed, the irises slitting back to their draconic image. With a flash of light, he disappeared, shouting as he went, "Bankai!" Oblivion and Oathkeeper re-materialized in his hands, and the black and white wings of the Wielder of Light spurred him on, slashing out with Oblivion as he headed for Ichigo. A black energy blade roared out, slamming into Grimmjow as he was preparing a Cero from behind Ichigo's back, and Sora spun around, alerted by his new acute senses to the blow that Nnoitra sent his way, keyblades meeting with scythe in a resounding blow.

"Bankai." Riku threw his hand out to the side, Way to the Dawn forming in it, then falling gently to the ground as he released it. Instantly, his dome appeared around Sora, Ichigo and the Espada. A flash of black later, he was inside the dome at Sora's side, a dark blade in his left hand, Way to the Dawn reappearing in his right. Whirling around, he struck out with his foot, catching Nnoitra in the head, forcing him down, but as Sora tried to stab him while he was down, he opened his mouth and fired a Cero at point-blank range at Sora, blasting him into the roof of the dome.

"Sora!" shouted Riku.

Nnoitra struggled upwards, laughing. Suddenly, his mouth stopped moving, his laughter becoming a repulsive gurgling sound. A thin black blade protruded from his stomach, and Kurai disdainfully pushed the deceased 5th Espada off, his silver eyes starting to meld with gold. Riku saw the impending danger, and backed away, almost running into the body of Yammy.

In the corner of the dome, Sora pushed himself up, grinning. Where the Cero should have blasted a hole in his chest, it was merely scratched, his Bankai's armour protecting him, its strength increasing by the moment. "Sorry Riku. I'm fine, really."

Grimmjow launched himself at Sora from above, snarling and shouting profanities at the Wielder of Light. A gigantic root slammed into his back, accelerating his descent faster than he would've liked, slamming into the ground only a few feet away from Sora as petals flew through the dome, Kairi's blazing eyes boring holes into Grimmjow as he struggled back upright, howling a shockwave that Ichigo countered by slashing through the air so fast Tensa Zangetsu created its own sonic boom.

Meanwhile, Kurai and Ulquiorra were exchanging blows so fast that their hands were appearing as a blur, the Arrancar's steel skin matching Betrayal's dragon steel in a blinding match of speed. Suddenly, Kurai opened his mouth, and a roar issued from it, causing everyone in the dome to back away from him, Ulquiorra's eyes opening wide in surprise as golden and black flames roared up from the ground around them.

"What is this… sorcery…?" he muttered.

Kurai grinned at Ulquiorra as the gold eyes of the dragon glared coldly at him. "No sorcery. Just a dragon." The scales of Dracon Form ripped through his shirt, his heavily muscled arms covered in their own scaled armour, while dragon wings exploded from his shoulder blades. Betrayal disappeared as well, concentrated spirit energy whirling around his left arm, forming a humming golden blade.

Tensa Zangetsu clove through the air, parrying a strike from Grimmjow that was aimed for Riku, while vines grew from the ground, ensnaring the 6th Espada. Black blades followed the vines' progress as Riku whirled around, Way to the Dawn howling in his hand, and an 'X' blade of black and white energy thundered towards the Resurreccion form of the Arrancar as Sora slashed forward with both his arms.

"Gran Rey Cero!"

Kurai appeared before the four warriors just as Grimmjow released the most powerful Cero beam, the power and energy being emanated so strong that the space around Grimmjow's hands was being distorted. With a casual swing of the golden blade in his left hand, Kurai easily deflected the blast back at Grimmjow, whose scream would haunt them forever. Ulquiorra, knowing his defeat, attempted to run, but Kurai disappeared from before the four Bankai users, reappearing in front of Ulquiorra with his blade aimed backwards, causing Ulquiorra to nearly run into it.

"Tell Aizen he's next." Kurai grabbed the robes of the Espada, bringing him up to meet his eyes, the Arrancar's feet barely touching the ground. With a final hum, his golden blade disappeared, and he hammered his fist into the Espada's stomach, forcing Ulquiorra's breath out of him.

Breathing heavily, the 4th Espada glanced up at the golden figure of Kurai. "Who… are you…?"

A golden light enveloped Kurai, fading away to reveal him in his normal clothes, Betrayal in his hand as he pointed it at Ulquiorra. "I am the Fallen Angel."

Ulquiorra's eyes opened wide, then narrowed. "It cannot be. That was five hundred years ago. You cannot still be here."

Kurai's grin was both mocking and sad at the same time. "Angels never die."

Ulquiorra stood upright, his hands in his pockets, signifying his non-aggressiveness. "I will pass the message to Aizen-sama." The very fabric of the dimensions tore open behind him, engulfing him as he returned to Hueco Mundo.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" A black beam of energy sheared through the air, just as the fabric repaired itself by a fraction of a moment. Ichigo stormed on Kurai. "Why didja let him go?! You could've killed him! It's because of him that Rukia's…" He couldn't finish.

Kurai laid a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "As long as he follows Aizen, his death is inevitable. And if possible, I would like his death to be by your hand, not mine."

"I don't care!" shouted Ichigo. "So long as he's dead!"

"Heh… Kurosaki… you're still as… stubborn as ever…"

Whirling around, Ichigo disappeared, reappearing over the fallen body of Grimmjow. Tensa Zangetsu whirled in a howling arc, stabbing into the ground a fraction from Grimmjow's head. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you now." His growl was full of emotion; rage, anger, sorrow, grief, different names for emotions so similar.

Grimmjow chuckled softly, blood spurting out of his mouth, as well as seeping into the ground around him. "Idiot. There's no point. I'm already dying. I don't even have the strength to move." The fight seemed to have gone out of the violent Espada, and his eyes closed. A moment later, he opened them again, swivelling up to look at Kurai. "So... you're the Fallen Angel? Heh… you're strong. It was nice fighting you. If only I wasn't dying… then I'll beat you, and Ichigo too."

Kurai strode over to Grimmjow, kneeling next to the broken body. "It takes a lot out of you to do a Gran Rey Cero. Why did you do it?"

Grimmjow laughed, although his face showed that doing so sent pain all over his dying body. "Anything to kill Kurosaki. And now you." Turning his face with all his strength, he managed to face Kurai. "If I were to turn back time, I'd do the same thing."

His blue eyes scanned what he could of the destruction in Riku's dome. "You did good… though I don't think Ulquiorra would like me to say it. But screw him. I'm not gonna be around for much longer anyway. Yammy's dead? Never did like him much. Nnoitra? The bastard hit me from behind when I was fighting Ichigo. Aizen wouldn't let me kill him either. Heh… when I meet him wherever I'm going, I'm going to rip him apart…"

Ichigo's eyes continued to glare at Grimmjow, and his nemesis turned his head back laboriously to return the favour, along with a wry twist of his mouth. "I'm a fighter. When you're a fighter, dying doesn't mean much. You're going to die anyway, one day, so you just make sure to take down as many as you can, seeking higher thrills, harder challenges. You were one of my biggest fights. I'm just sorry I couldn't take you with me."

Kurai got up, turning to Riku and nodding once. Riku understood, clicking his fingers and causing the dome to vanish. Looking around at the scene, they saw the last remnants of the Hollow invasion being torn apart by Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. Looking at where they had seen the Bankai last, they saw Rukia laid out on a sheet, her hands folded, yet her eyes open, talking in a low voice with Isane.

"Rukia…" Ichigo muttered, disappearing from where he was.

"He's a big softie inside, isn't he?" remarked Grimmjow. Then he gave a gasp of pain. "Well, there goes another rib." He swivelled his eyes back up to look at Kurai. "When you die, look for me, and we'll have a _fun_ time." He grinned one last time, then his eyes went blank.

With flashes of crimson and white, Sora and Kairi came out of their respective Bankai. "Who was that…?" asked Kairi timidly, while Sora just gazed intently at Kurai.

"In all honesty, I don't know. Ichigo knows him better. But he's a powerful fighter, and one who isn't afraid to die if he has to." Kurai was gazing off into the distance, his mind somewhere far off.

The flames of Ryuujin Jakka dissipated as Yamamoto resealed the mighty zanpakutou, turning it into a cane that he used to prop himself up. "So it ends…" he murmured. Then his eyes narrowed as he gazed at Ichigo. "But for one of our own…" In his mind, he saw again the Cero beam Ichigo had fired at Yammy. "It has just begun."

* * *

Whoo... What's Yamamoto going to do? What's going to happen to Ichigo? Why didn't Yamamoto join in the fight? ...Well how the heck would I know? xD Review! Or... er... Never mind...


	24. What is Love?

Ugh... now that the action's over, my writing has slowed down considerably. Luckily, to keep myself from falling over sideways out of boredom, I've decided to make the next few chapters action as well! Although this chapter gets a little sappy...

**To my reviewers**  
BlackChaos105: Bloodbath, ultimate slaughter, what's the difference? Yes, I still have his details, and he is actually the reason for this chapter. Don't worry, he's coming, I don't go back on my promises... I hope. cc  
bailkatanas: Heh, I told you guys numerous times before, I don't plan. I write impulsively. xD Anyways, I like Grimmjow, but since I'm only up to Episode 70, and probably not going to go any further, most of my info comes from Wikipedia as well as skipping multiple chapters in the manga. xD  
The Elven-Spear: Thanks!  
Shire Folk: I actually think they didn't do enough. They ARE the main characters after all, but they just seem to stand there. However, the battle that's coming up will have them reveal their battle prowess! As for the Wielder of Dusk... read and find out! xD Dang... I'm sorry I spoilt so many parts of Bleach for you, I was kinda expecting more people to know about the anime series I'm using. I might put a massive word in the description for this fic... Still, try and watch Bleach, won't you? Reading it's fine as well.  
werewolf21: Here's the update, hope you like it!  
booboobanshee: Read, read, read, and read some more!  
Kee Blayd: Sorry Kee, I've never watched Inuyasha, so if you want me to includeit, you're gonna have to win a competition I'll think up, then I'll have to Wiki like all hell. cc

Well, if that's it, on with the story!

* * *

The next day was the trial of one Kurosaki Ichigo, convicted Vizard, accused of harbouring illegal powers. With chains draining his spirit power and surrounded by some of the most powerful beings in Soul Society, he had nowhere to run. Not that he wanted to.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, Captain of the Fifth Division, are you present?" Yamamoto's voice rang throughout the field of the Soukyoku.

Ichigo stepped up, a small smirk on his face. "I am."

Behind them, a small group of shinigami whispered among themselves. "There goes another Captain…" "It's the Fifth again?" "I tell you, the Division's jinxed…: They shut up instantly when they felt an immense reiatsu rest on them as Yamamoto turned his head to gaze at them for a while, before returning his gaze to Ichigo.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, you have been accused by the council a traitor to the ways of a shinigami, treading the path of the Vizard, crossing the boundary that separates shinigami and Hollow, and keeping the fact secret to all present. Do you deny it?" Even though his body looked frail, hundreds of years of living had done nothing to keep the old shinigami down, and he was in his prime, which might continue for more than another five centuries. His voice boomed out to all the shinigami present, and Rukia, sitting up in a small bed that Isane had provided, had her eyes set worriedly on the orange-haired shinigami.

"I do not." Somehow, even in the face of everything that seemed to be defying him, the smirk never moved from Ichigo's face. His massive zanpakutou lay strapped down before Yamamoto, out of reach from his chained hands, and the tall angel who had promised to fight beside him was nowhere to be seen. Sora, Kairi and Riku's faces peered anxiously at the man who had helped them ascend to a whole new level of power, inwardly cursing at the fact that they could do nothing with the power of all the Captains present.

A ghost of a grin passed over Yamamoto's cragged old face. "Yet you used that power for the good of Soul Society, repelled the invaders from our home, and eliminated three of the Espada for us. Is this true?"

Ichigo's smirk never faltered. "It is true." His eyes slid from Yamamoto to where a certain raven-haired shinigami was sitting straight up in her sick bed, eyes opening wide in hope, and his grin widened.

Yamamoto pounded the butt of his cane into the ground once, sending a hollow boom ringing across the clearing. "The council has deemed that in light of your recent achievements in driving off the Espada, as well as defeating the Vasto Lorde and the fact that you have not used the power of the Vizard for evil, there will be a vote to decide your fate. Will those who approve of an execution raise their hand?"

No hands were raised.

"All in favour of pardon?"

A forest of arms were raised, along with a screaming roar. Looking up, the three teens saw the black figure of Kurai, his grin a white scar on his face as he raised Betrayal high in the air. "Kurai!" cried Sora. Kurai's grin widened as he swung Betrayal out to his side, slowly descending.

"I'm never where you want me now, am I?" he asked, as he landed before the teens. Turning around, he watched Rukia struggle slightly under Isane's arms before falling still. "Looks like someone wants a hug."

"We were wondering where you went, especially after you told Ichigo that you'd be there for him." Kairi rebuked Kurai. "Where _did_ you go?"

"I had to pay a visit to Urahara, then hurried back when I heard of Kurai's trial. If Yamamoto had condemned Ichigo to death, I'd have stepped in." Kurai raised his hands in defense. "Anyways, everything's alright now, ain't it?"

"If you hadn't roared out, I'm not sure what would've happened." Riku remarked casually.

"Come on, didn't you see the number of hands raised? Ichigo was going nowhere near the Soukyoku." Kurai laughed. His eyes settled casually on Yamamoto, and he was pleased to see a barely noticeable smile on the old shinigami's face. 'I'm glad I didn't have to force you, Yama-jiisan. It wouldn't have been nice to fight off the whole might of Soul Society by myself…' he thought.

At a nod from Yamamoto, Ichigo closed his eyes, and to everyone's surprise, the spirit binding chains fell off, forced open by his immense reiatsu. The minute they were off, the shinigami around the area felt an immense pressure on them, which lasted less than a second as Ichigo brought it under control again. The first thing he did once he was freed was hold his hand out to the side, and Zangetsu flew through the air, where Ichigo caught it easily and slung over his back. A swirl of reiatsu later, he disappeared, appearing next to Rukia, kneeling down to her level.

"Yo. Sorry 'bout the worry." Ichigo grinned as the small shinigami narrowed her eyes up at him. "You feeling better?" The next thing he felt was an elbow in his gut as Isane tried to hold back the petite Vice-Captain as she tried to kill Ichigo herself.

"You do that one more time, Kurosaki _bakamono_, ONE MORE TIME, and I will KILL you myself!" she roared, ignoring the Cero wound in her side.

The shinigami all around them grinned as they watched an injured Rukia reign over a groaning Ichigo who was clutching his side, with some openly laughing. Even Yamamoto was smiling, and as for the emotionless Byakuya, his eyes seemed to crinkle at the edges… just a little.

* * *

Standing at the gates of the Senkaimon, the four of them turned around, bidding farewell to Ichigo and Rukia, who had sent them on their way.

"Will you be alright, Ichigo?" asked Kairi tentatively.

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. If anything happens, I guess I'll just have to fight my way out like I did last time." He grinned. "And this time, it's going to be a hell of a lot easier."

Rukia flashed a glare at him, making him whistle innocently and look away. "Ichigo…" she warned threateningly.

Kurai laughed. "Well, we'll just be off then. If you guys need any more help against Aizen or whatever, just gimme a call. I'll bring these guys back for a little training drill."

The two men clasped hands one more time, while Rukia and Kairi had a quick whispered conversation. "Rukia… do you love Ichigo?" Kairi asked.

Rukia's eyes opened wide, and she averted her eyes, her face the color of Kairi's hair. "I… I honestly don't know. Sometimes I think I do, but then the idiot does something that makes me… I don't know… I can never hate him, or be too angry at him for long, although we argue a lot. He makes me worry too. Every time he goes and does something stupid, I'm afraid that it'll be the last time I'll see him. He's changed my world almost as much as I've changed his." She smiled softly. "Maybe I do… but I don't know."

Kairi listened intently, relating herself to the woman's situation. Sighing, she said, "I feel the same about Sora, but I don't know if I love him. We've been friends for a long time, since we were children, but sometimes, I feel like there's something more… To achieve my Bankai, I've had to… go through a… trial, and I know he loves me, although he probably doesn't even know it himself. Rukia… do you know if Ichigo loves you?"

Rukia closed her eyes, and memories of more than one lifetime flew behind them, visible only to herself. "I… I don't know that either. But sometimes I think he does, although sometimes I'm almost positive he doesn't. We've been through a lot, more than most people have been through, and there's been a lot of times when we've risked our own lives to save each other." She smiled again. "Actually, to be honest, it's usually him who risks his ass to save mine. But still, it's very confusing." Her eyes met Kairi's slyly. "Why're you asking me all this?"

Kairi bit her lip, then mentally steeled herself. "I am the Wielder of Love, as you probably know, and all of Soul Society as well. To prove myself worthy of this title, I need to know my own feelings. But… I just don't know. I don't want to be left behind again, not by myself. I couldn't stand having to watch from the sidelines as Sora and Riku both risk their lives to save mine."

Rukia nodded slowly, seeing Kairi's dilemma as easily as her own. Then her mouth quirked. "You know… we're very similar, you and I. Only in your case, you're probably off worse." She patted the hilt of her zanpakutou.

"Kairi? You done?"

Spinning around, Kairi nearly smacked herself into Sora, who was trying to sneak up on her when Riku had called out. Flustered, she tucked a loose strand of red hair behind her ear, turning back to bid farewell to Rukia, who was laughing softly, her mouth hidden behind her hand as her eyes sparkled with mirth. Kairi's eyes flashed the silent question: '_Has he heard?_' over to the shinigami, who shook her head slightly, still laughing.

'_I don't think he heard anything, Kairi._' Namine, correctly reading her thoughts, softly assured Kairi from inside her head. Kairi immediately perked up. 'Namine, you and Roxas…?'

'_W-What?! W-we… There's nothing between us!_' Although still soft, Namine's voice was literally colored red, there was an air of finality in her words that left Kairi in no doubt that something was being hidden. 'If you say so.'

Turning to Riku, she nodded. "Done!"

Kurai nodded. "Then let's go. We've wasted some time. I want to get you guys into the Digital World now as soon as possible."

Stepping out of the gate, they were met with a whole horde of Heartless with the odd Nobody thrown in, who had followed their scent to the gate, but were unable to get in. Riku and Sora exchanged glances, then stepped back, grinning. "Kairi? After you."

Kairi looked surprised for a moment, then smiled cutely. "Bankai." In a matter of moments, the horde was demolished, with Kairi grinning as she struck a pose. "How's that, boys?" she grinned. Her flowers draped around her lithe body, and Oathgiver and Eternity floated in the air around her, similar to how Oathkeeper and Oblivion had floated around Sora in Final Form.

Sora grinned. "Not too bad. But I bet I could've cleared that faster." He slashed his hand through the air, summoning Oathkeeper, twirling it in his hand as he pointed it at Kairi.

"Hang on…" Riku frowned. His silver eyes darted from the silver Oathkeeper in Sora's hand to the gold-ish Oathgiver in Kairi's hand, mirror images of the same blade, with different colorings. "Kairi… What happened to True Heart?"

Kairi cocked her head to one side in confusion, then saw what Riku was looking at. Sora, being Sora, took a little longer, than his eyes opened wide. "Huh…? What the…? Kairi, where'd ya get that?"

Kairi smiled mysteriously. "It's a secret!" Turning around, she shot off, her Bankai holding her in the air as she giggled at Sora running on the ground under her. "Hey! Kairi! Tell me! Why do your keyblades look so much like mine?!"

Riku flicked his eyes over to Kurai, who gazed serenely back. "Kurai? D'you know anything?"

Kurai shook his head. "Nope. None at all. I _am_ wondering where she got them from though." However, his nonchalant reply was nothing at all like the turmoil that was running in his mind. Ruin's keyblades…? She's only missing Astaldo, but she's… getting more like Ruin by the moment…' His eyes darted to Riku. 'I hope that Riku never gets the dragon in him. Nor Sora.' He clenched his fist. 'The dragon shall perish with me. I swear.'

Looking up at the pale blue sky, the edges pf his mouth turned up. 'Kirin… Ruin… I hope… I'm doing the right thing? I'll protect them, as a former Wielder, and in your names. But am I doing right?'

Suddenly, he felt an intense pain in his gut. His eyes flew open as he heard a strange haunting cry echo across the empty land surrounding the Senkaimon. Ripping a hole in the dimension right by his side, Betrayal flew out of it, landing neatly in his hand. "Sora, Kairi, Riku! Get over here!"

Urged by the tone of his voice, the teens were by his side in seconds, keyblades glinting in the pale sun. "What is it, Kurai?" asked Sora, his back to the angel as narrow yellow eyes scanned the horizon.

"Did you guys hear that just now?" enquired Kurai, striding off in the direction they had come by two days ago. "That strange cry?"

Riku and Kairi looked quizzical, but Sora nodded in comprehension. "Yeah, I did. What was it?"

Kurai looked at Sora with narrow eyes. 'This is bad…' he thought. 'There's something inside Sora… he shouldn't have been able to hear it.' Out loud, he said, "I didn't leave Radiant Garden unprotected for a single day after that assault you saw, Kairi, and the one where you two fought, Sora, Riku. Looks like I was right. There's been another attack."

Sora's face set in a grim line, and he sped up unconsciously , not that he moved much faster, compared with Kurai's long stride. "Who did you leave there?" he asked.

"A dragon." Kurai stopped walking when he reached the centre of a large clearing. Standing in the middle and turning in a circle to scan the surrounding, he nodded once, then threw his head back and roared.

Within moments, a shadow appeared on the ground, and a large white dragon landed. Instead of scaly wings however, the wings of the dragon were feathery, almost like that of an eagle. "Kurai, the attack has escalated. Ninja's with forehead protectors have appeared, although the Hollows have retreated, and Guze no Tomogara have led a massive attack with their Rinne. Leonhart, Kisaragi and Lockhart have returned safely around two days ago, and are now leading the defense. However, they are being overwhelmed by sheer force of numbers."

The three teens seemed taken aback by the dragon's ability to speak, and even more so by the fact that the voice was female. Kurai however, had no time for explanations. "Are there any more enemies?" he asked.

The dragon thought for a moment, than nodded. "Demons attacked the southern end of Radiant Garden, but Cid's defenses pushed them back, along with the natural terrain. They seemed to fear holy magic, for my breath pushed them back. Men with runs traced on their arms summoned elements of all sort from the western side, but Merlin counter-acted with high level spells. When what looked like a Homunculi attacked along the alchemists, Merlin summoned a meteor. Casualties are unknown."

The dragon stopped for a second, eyes closed, then continued. "Invaders have massed on the eastern side, yet they have not attacked. My sightings include what seems to be a Negative Gatekeeper among them. Samurai attack alongside the ninja from the Hidden Sound, and it would seem Seta Soujirou is among them. Digimon of the X Virus have taken the place of normal Digimon, led by Apocalymon X. Reinforcements from the King and various worlds have held them off, but they are persistent."

"Various worlds?" Sora cut in.

"The Sultan of Agrabah had sent five hundred men armed with scimitars, led by Aladdin, and King Triton has magically allowed a hundred of his best mer-soldiers to enter the world of air, while Hercules is single-handedly holding off a legion of Heartless. A thousand men from the Land of Dragons sent by the Emperor stand alongside the men of Radiant Garden, and King Simba brought a pride of ten lions onto the demons from the south. Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner have landed off the port when I left to answer Kurai's call, and my eyes count twenty pirates on the Black Pearl."

The dragon turned her eyes onto Sora, her gentle blue eyes contrasting with its fearsome appearance. Then she turned back to Kurai. "We have no more time to waste, Dragonlord. As I speak, more enemies arrive from dimensional rips in the fabric. Masters and Servants of all Classes are attacking, Archers, Lancers, and even some Sabers. A strange being stands far away on mountain, overseeing the battle, but I can not look at him. He exudes an aura so strong that it distorts the air around him."

Kurai nodded once. "Everyone, get on Sephonia." He gestured at the dragon. "Sephonia, take us to Radiant Garden. Sorry guys, looks like the Digital World will have to wait… again. Hope you guys don't mind."

Turning around, he was met by the steely faces of the three teens, keyblades in hand as they leapt onto the dragon, ready to leave. "Let's go." Sora's face held none of the silliness that he usually had, his eyes closed as a bright light shone from him.

Kurai nodded. "Right."

'He's growing stronger, Kirin. But I fear for him. He has something within him, something I wasn't there to prevent. The next Wielder of Light… I hope he does not follow your path.'

* * *

Now that you guys are done with the chapter, probably gleened some more details of what new worlds will be included, and anticipated the battle to no end, I'm going to give you guys some bad news. The end of year exams are coming up, so I'm going to have concentrated on getting enough marks to progress next year, which means less internet time, as well as less time to write. Hope you guys can bear with me. I never said I won't write! xD Read and review!  



	25. Broken Limit

I hate exams. Tell me someone who doesn't, besides the examiners. Sorry this chapter took so long, between bribing my parents so I could use the computer and pretending to study while I tried to think up new ideas, I was pretty much bushed when I started typing. Still, here're the results, and I hope you like them.

**To my reviewers  
**chronosking819: Hey, new reviewer! Now are you going to stay or are you a one-time reviewer? I wonder... Anyways, glad you like it, and hope you'll keep reading, even if you don't review!  
Shire Folk: No it's not, not healthy at all. Actually, you'll notice that Sora first got his new eyes afeter a certain incident, and it was that incident that gave him what he has now. Not telling you what it is though... yet. I'm going by Digimon X Evolution, with references to all four, which means all except Savers. I like all four, strangely, not like some people who only liked the first and second, or those who only liked the third. Strange... Don't worry though, although this combines elements from all of them, it's on an entirely new custom storyline, similar to X Evolution, but not exactly like it. And yes, Namine doesn't like to talk about herself much. xD  
bailkatanas: One word: Exams. Still, I'll try and pick it up enough so that you guys can actually stop breathing and cling to the edge of your seats, alright?  
BlackChaos105: Sorry, if he's who I think you think it is, then it isn't. All I'm saying is that he's not exactly what you'd call someone with good intentions. That chapter was to serve to deviate the group from the Digital World, where they were headed next, so that they could actually return to Destiny Islands after they cleaned up the mess. Anyways, I e-mailed you the stuff.  
Kee Blayd: Sorry to disappoint you, but you were off on one count. It's not Inuyasha, it's something else, I'll let you guess what it is. I might not include Inuyasha due to my limited knowledge of it, but I might Wiki it and ask you stuff if I get enough requests for it to be included. A MetalMamemon eh? Interesting, they might do well with another Ultimate level on their side, but we'll see. This isn't set in a timeline that American viewers would know, unless they watched the second latest Digimon Movie. And no, Legend of Zelda ain't in, since at the moment I'm focusing on anime, and Zelda's a game. I might write another fanfic on Kurai, Kirin and Ruin though, and make that a game-based universe.  
The Elven-Spear: xD Yes, it's Naruto. Don't go commiting seppuku now, I'd hate to lose a reviewer. Be warned that my potrayal of them might be off, since I haven't watched the anime, and I usually use anime to gauge battle styles, speaking styles, backdrop and characteristics.  
SauronBane: Yeah, the Digital World and Shakugan no Shana. I might send the guys to the Tomogara world, but since I have no knowledge of it, I might stick to the castle... What was it called again? The one where Hecate and the Metamorph was? Whatever.  
werewolf21: I ain't telling you what's inside Sora. It's nothing plot-ty, just something I thought would be interesting, but it doesn't have anything to dow ith the plot, although now you mention it... Anyways, the battle's short, but hopefully action-packed. I swear I'm losing my touch...

Well, now that that's over with, I'd like to tell you about one thing I over-looked, but I think I'll save that for the end of the chapter. Have fun reading this!

* * *

The first thing they saw when they arrived in the air above Radiant Garden was the fire. So many flames, rising, spiralling, smoke distorting the air of a spring day. Screams and howls of agony and pain echoed up at them, and the roar of inhuman beings shattered the tranquillity.

"Hold strong! Hold strong! Don't let them pass! Lionheart!"

Above the chaos, they heard the call of Leon, the moonsteel blade of Lionheart carving a bright arc in the air. With a sharp hum, the blade lengthened immeasurably, and Leon's eyes flashed. The lion head necklace he wore started to glow with a bright light as he raised his gunblade, the very ground around his feet cracking from the immense energies that poured off him.

"Renzokuken!" Leaping into a mass of X Digimon, whirling slashes tore them apart, the blue blade separating tendons and snapping sinews as fractal code erupted around Leon, unleashing hell onto his enemies. Jumping onto the head of one of the larger X Digimon, he spun around, using it as a base to propel himself into the air, light shooting out of Lionheart, increasing the white hot length to a tremendous size. "Blasting Zone!" Bringing the mighty blade down, he wiped out an entire legion of enemies, then as soon as the energy made contact with the ground, a massive explosion destroyed ranks of Digital monsters.

"Sonic Rave." Sora's eyes flew open as he heard the calm voice say the name of an attack, the first he had ever learnt. The bandaged blade of the First Tsurugi ripped a Homunculus in two, and the Lone Wolf, Cloud Strife, shouldered the massive sword easily. Next to him, Tifa slammed her fist into an elemental being created by alchemists, disintegrated the earth being as she ducked under a fiery blade. Coolly detaching a sword from the compound blade, Cloud removed the head of the fire elemental, then slashed the two swords he held along the ground, releasing a mighty shockwave that sent the alchemists running for cover, straight into Merlin's own elemental, a mighty leviathan that flew through the air as easily as water.

"Cloud…" Sora murmured. "Where did you go?"

"Tifa, let's end this." Cloud raised the First Tsurugi, looking at Tifa. She nodded, tightening her gloves. "Right." Spinning the compound blade over his head, the six blades that made up the First Tsurugi came apart, with the base blade still in Cloud's hand. Leaping into the air, he started to move faster and faster, ripping through his enemies with first one sword then another, leaving the first sword where he found the next. "Omnislash."

Tifa closed her eyes, her ki flaring out around her as she opened them again, a golden light swirling in them. "This is my… Final Heaven!" Flames poured out of her clenched fist, a golden sphere encasing it completely as she leapt into the air, before plunging down and smashing the ground. A massive eruption roared up around the pair of them, engulfing the alchemists and the elementals as they screamed in agony.

Conformer shredded the air as Yuffie whirled the massive shuriken in a devastating arc, Heartless and demons running straight into it as Simba and his pride forced them into a headlong flight. The south of Radiant Garden was under heavy attack, but the arrival of Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner, along with the crew of the Black Pearl, drove the demons back. Yuffie's eyes started to glow green as she went into her Limit, the ninja laughing her head off as she did. "All Creation!"

"Wildcat!" Simba followed suit as a gigantic green energy blast issued from Conformer, throwing his head back and unleashing a mighty roar that formed a shockwave around him, thundering outwards. Stalagmites ripped the ground apart as King Simba unleashed the rage of the Pride Lands, rushing at enemies and decimating them with rapid claw combos, before ending his Limit with a final roar that simply disintegrated his enemies with its pure force. "Proud Roar!"

Between trying to pick the demons' pockets and trying to fend them off, Jack was getting a little annoyed. "C'mon matey, let's give 'em a lil'… Bluff!" Jack Sparrow kicked a chest over to Will Turner, who flipped it open, calling a vortex from within to trap all who came near, the two allies exercising their cutlass skills on the trapped demons, before Jack forced them into the chest and dropping a bomb in. "Final Trap, down in Davey Jones' locker!" The pirate threw the chest into the river nearby, where the chest exploded, instantly destroying the demons and Heartless trapped within.

Mulan danced a fatal fury through the ninja, her longsword cleaving the heads off many, striking others where they least expected it as the skilful woman spun gracefully through the trees. Around her, members of the Chinese Imperial Army screamed war cries, led by the young general Shang. Pulling a firecracker from her pocket, Mulan threw it at a ninja with a forehead protector, detonating it instantly as Mushu appeared from nowhere. Looking at each other and nodding, Mushu leapt off, firing fireballs everywhere, locating the hidden ninja, before Mulan leapt at them, killing them easily. "Red Rocket!" Twisting around, Mulan caught Mushu, before throwing him back up into the air with all her might, where he started to fire flaming meteors down at the unsuspecting shinobi. "Red Meteor!"

"This is the code of Bushido: To never back down before an enemy, and to die before an ally is harmed!" Auron slid his arm out of his sleeve, his eyes narrowed as they burned with an inner flame. "Overdrive." Disappearing from where he stood, the ronin reappeared behind a Servant, Heaven's Cloud ripping it in two, causing its nearby Master to scream in agony as their bond was destroyed. Spinning around, Auron leapt high into the air, sake spilling from his trademark bottle into the air, igniting as Auron slashed through the air fast enough to leave a trail of flame. "Banishing Blade!" As Auron plunged the massive katana into the ground, a pillar of flame roared up around both Servants and Masters, incinerating them where they stood. But Auron wasn't done yet.

"Shooting Star!" Disappearing and reappearing all around the field, the undead warrior left trails of blood behind him as he shaved the very air, releasing shockwaves all around him as he stood dead centre in the middle of the Masters and Servants. "Spiral." Just as a Saber launched a Caladbog at him, Auron spun Heaven's Cloud around his head, forming a tornado of titanic proportions that tore his enemies apart. The mighty katana ricocheted off the Caladbog, but continued on its course, unleashing devastating winds on its targets.

"Father, I hope you're watching this. I will become a true hero, then I can go home!" Both sword and fist formed a maelstrom of steel and flesh as Hercules decimated Heartless and Nobodies, one strike enough to take out all but the strongest of them, which took an extra hit. Slamming his fist into the ground, a huge shockwave roared up around him, then he held his hand straight up, forming a ball of swirling aura. "Aura Sphere!" Launching it at a gigantic compound Heartless that took the shape of a titanic snake, he leapt up behind it, giving it a two handed-haymaker right above the snake, slamming the sphere deep into its cranium.

Roars of fury came from the eastern flank as Beast howled. "Twin Howl!" As the howl of the beast rang through the forests, Sora threw his head back, and a mirror howl issued from his throat from upon the awesome white dragon. Both howls met in a resounding clash, creating a shockwave that wiped out a mass of the Invaders, leaving crystals in their wake as Beast ran forwards, purple energy streaking around him as he sharpened his claws on the invaders. "Outcry!" Spinning around, he slammed his claws into the ground, giving one last mighty howl that left the Invader mass in tattered shreds. "Last Howl!"

"Impressive… But you are a mere hindrance to my master's plans."

As Beast spun around, shadows appeared from the very ground, binding him to the spot. A tall man with brown hair strode forward, smiling in a way that looked kind, but was brimming with malice. As Beast watched with horrified eyes, the man snapped his fingers. "Gate, Open." Before the man, two rings formed, one within the other, a single bead of light moving on each ring, which was solid black. "Now, you die."

"Bankai."

As the man brought his fist back, brimming with darkness, then threw it forward, aiming straight for Beast's head, it came in sharp contact with a pair of wings, one white and one black as the Wielder of Light stood before him. Without looking at the Negative Gatekeeper, Sora asked Beast, "Beast, ready for another go?"

With a roar, the Beast forced himself free from the shadows, straining and puffing, his muscles standing out in stark relief. "Sora… I have failed you."

Sora grinned. "Not this time. Limit!" With a blast, his eyes glowed blue, and the games began. "Twin Howl!" Shockwaves pummelled the Negative Gatekeeper, who was visually surprised by the added force that Sora added. Gritting his teeth, he opened his Gate once more, sending out shadows to try and bind the pair. "Stalwart Fang!" "Outcry!" Purple energy shockwaves blasted out from the duo, the power behind the twin attacks forcing the shadows to disperse, before the two advanced on the Negative Gatekeeper. "Last Howl!" Side by side, both Wielder and Beast threw their heads back, unleashing a mighty howl that turned the very bones of the Negative Gatekeeper to dust, accompanied by a piercing scream.

"Sora!" Kairi cried. Turning around at the sound of her voice, Sora's eyes narrowed as he saw the flower-draped teen get pushed into a corner, yet still fighting determinedly, razor petals and sharp leaves slicing through the air around her as Oathgiver and Eternity struck out every now and again, destroying Heartless and Nobodies with each attack.

A flash of white light heralded Sora's disappearance from Beast's side, and he reappeared behind the horde that was pressuring Kairi, grinning. 'Yo Kairi,' he called in his mind. 'Pincer attack! When I say now, go all out, 'kay? Now!'

Sora raised both his hands, energies of both the light and the dark dancing along the keyblades as Oathkeeper and Oblivion both started to emit a low hum. On the other side of the Heartless, Kairi raised her hands, vines snaking along them to strike out at the Heartless and the nobodies, trapping them in place as Sora leapt into the air.

"Cleaving Moon!" The phrase came unwittingly out of Sora's mouth as he slashed forward with both keyblades, releasing a wave of energy that smote into the heads of the Heartless and Nobodies, disintegrating them instantly. Staying hovering in the air, he spun around, slashing outwards in a tight arc close to his body, parrying a strike from an X Digimon that looked eerily familiar… "BlackWarGreymon…?"

But instead of the calm warrior that he had faced before, the beast had no sense of sanity, attacking whenever it could find an opening, its eyes red with battle lust. Horrified, Sora's eyes narrowed against his will, solid blue giving way to liquid gold, the slitted irises taking in every detail. The over-all appearance of the dragon warrior was familiar, but now there seemed to be an almost 3-D retrospect to his design, more metallic looking, more Digital looking. A small blue glowing jewel was in the horn that was slightly above his snout, and his claws were now extended over the back of his gauntlets, reaching back until they curved over his elbows.

The deformed dragon roared loudly, flames swathing over his gauntlets as he carved the air apart, trying to get to Sora. Sora was pushed back, dodging the flames along with the deadly claws, now and again bringing Oathkeeper or Oblivion up so that the gauntlets ricocheted off the star steel. "BlackWarGreymon! What's got into you?!"

"Sennen Hirou."

Pillars of light formed out of nowhere around BlackWarGreymon, linking with each other and forming into a cage that pummelled him relentlessly. Roaring in pain, a massive explosion rocked the cage as he unleashed his trademark Gaia Destroyer ZERO at the bars of his prison, but the powerful bars reflected the attack back onto him, further wounding him.

"Yo, Sora."

Spinning around, Sora was met with the sight of Kurai, grinning. "Kurai, what's wrong with him? What's wrong with BlackWarGreymon?!"

Kurai cast his eyes over to the enraged prisoner, sighed, and shook his head slowly. "That's not BlackWarGreymon."

"What…?" Sora looked dumstruck.

Kurai sighed again, turning around and slashing through the air with Betrayal, forming an arc of energy that streaked across the air and slammed into the ranks of the demons from the south, who were besieged by the white dragon, Semphonia. "Years ago, when I trekked the Digital World, I met and befriended BlackWarGreymon. I know him well. This is not BlackWarGreymon. This is BlackWarGreymon X."

Sora's eyes narrowed. "X?"

Kurai nodded. "Yes, X. The X Virus. A program that grants the infected Digimon immense power… at the cost of their own sanity."

"So that's…" Sora looked over at the rampaging dragon warrior. "BlackWarGreymon…?"

Kurai nodded again. "Which is why the Digital World is the next port of call for us once we clean this place up. It's time to run an anti-virus through the place." Though Kurai's tone was light, Sora was beginning to know enough of the mysterious angel to know that he was deeply worried. He turned to Sora. "You go elsewhere. I'll take care of BlackWarGreymon X."

Sora sneaked a glance at Kurai, and saw the silver eyes of the draconic warrior focused on the black armoured dragon. "Right…" A flash of light later, he was gone.

Once Sora was gone, Kurai smiled slightly. "BlackWarGreymon… eh? So they've got you at last? Tell me, what's Yggdrasil planning? Why is the X-Virus still running rampage, when an anti-virus should've been patching it by now?"

His only answer was a roar from inside the cage, followed by another explosion as the BlackWarGreymon X unleashed another mighty ball of flame.

Kurai sighed, lifting Betrayal in his hand. "Well, if you want it that way… Farewell, old friend. May you be reborn in Primary Village, so we'll meet again." His body flickered, and he reappeared behind the cage. A torrent of slashes descended on the pillars of light, whipping through the bars and slashing right through BlackWarGreymon X. With a howl of pain, he started to disintegrate into data particles. "Farewell…" muttered Kurai.

* * *

The battle lasted all day and all night, and into the better part of the next day. Sora met Riku, and the two friends fought their way through whole armies of Heartless over to Kairi, before they teamed up.

"Riku, you ready?" muttered Sora from one side of Kairi. Oathkeeper and Oblivion were floating by his side: Due to his unfamiliarity with Bankai, he had decided to revert to Final Form so that he could better manage his power.

"Heh, whenever you are, Sora." Riku spun Way to the Dawn in a howling arc, his eyes blazing with a dark light.

"Guys…? What're you…?" Kairi looked from one to the other, her grip on Oathgiver and Eternity firm as she stood in the middle of the two Wielders.

"It's time for a Session in friendship, Kairi. Watch and learn." Sora grinned as he and Riku charged forward, eyes blazing with white and black. "Eternal Session!" What followed was something that Kairi would remember forever, along with her Bankai and the words that Oathgiver had given her.

Sora and Riku ran side by side, light erupted from each step they took, their keyblades shearing massive holes in the hordes, Oathkeeper, Oblivion and Way to the Dawn baying for blood as small pink hearts flew upwards gently with each keyblade strike on a Heartless. Spinning around, they worked in tandem; Whenever Sora did a downwards slash, Riku would strike on his opposite side, covering Sora's blind spot while Sora covered his, and whenever Riku did a spinning slash, Sora would follow up with a slash moving the other way, capturing the enemy with the wrath of a trinity blade.

"Dark Cannon." "Dark Cannon!" Riku's calm voice contrasted sharply with Sora's excited shout, and balls of darkness blasted outwards from the three keyblades, melting the Heartless where they stood. Spinning around in a whirlwind of darkness, the two best friends kicked off each other's feet, blasting the whole area with Riku's darkness, before landing softly on the ground in the middle of another mass of Heartless.

"Last Saber." "Last Saber!" Once again moving in tandem, the Heartless force was torn apart, the three keyblades ripping through them easily without pause or respite, the two Wielders not even breathing hard throughout their exertions. With a roar of anger, a massive Digimon that Kurai recognized as a VenomMyotismon X blossomed out of the very ground before the Wielders, firing a blast of energy at them.

"Master Hearts." "Master Hearts!" Light shot out of all three keyblades, and the trails of light that were left behind solidified, withstanding the blast with ease. Moving with a speed few could follow; the two Wielders disappeared and reappeared all around the massive Digimon, Oathkeeper, Oblivion and Way to the Dawn striking out again and again as the monster howled in pain, slashing at itself in a vain attempt to rid itself of the wild Wielders.

"XIII Blades." "XIII Blades!" As the name says, twelve blades of pure energy floated behind each keyblade, forming thirteen blades that struck the VenomMyotismon X consecutively, each blade mirroring the movements of the one before. Along with the blade extension that master Hearts gave, the two Wielders of Light and Dawn separated at the feet of the VenomMyotismon, then met up at the head, before reappearing at its feet, wounds blossoming out of nowhere on the powerful Mega level X Digimon. Spinning around, the two friends slashed in opposite directions, unleashing thirteen shockwaves to lash out at the Heartless and Nobodies that were crowding in on them, destroying them instantly as the VenomMyotismon unleashed another torrent of blasts on them.

"All's End." "All's End!" Leaping into the air across from each other, the two Wielders threw their keyblades into the air, where they caught themselves by the hilt. As they passed by each other, the two Wielders grinned, smacking their fists together. As they did, their keyblades gave off a low hum, and a gigantic vortex blazed out from them, trapping almost the entire invasion in it, pummelling them with the power of emptiness. This allowed the rest of the defence to cut loose, unleashing hell upon their enemies.

"Renzokuken Lionheart!" "Final Heaven!" "Omislash!" "All Creation!" "King's Pride!" "Treasure Isle!" "Dragonblaze!" "Howling Moon!" "Overdrive!" "Trick Fantasy!" "Eden's Garden!" "Dracon Requiem."

* * *

You guys saw what I included this time? Y'see, all this time I was missing the Limits. Well, here they are, all introduced in one massive battle. Notice that Tron and Jack Skellington aren't here. That's because I never did think they were actually fighting material in the first place, so I have no idea how they'd be able to fend off the monsters and enemies the guys were facing. Anyways, please read and review! 


	26. The Anti Inside

Ugh, I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. Lack of inspiration since I stopped writing the action. Yeah yeah yeah. Hope this one's right for you guys... Oh, and this chapter's a birthday present for BlackChaos105, a loyal reviewer! Happy birthday!

**To my reviewers  
**bailkatanas: Yes, it does. Yes, he has a Limit, but it wasn't in there. I've got plans for that Limit...  
Shire Folk: A MaloMyotismon X... eh? Interesting... xDDDDDD Sorry, I've never watched Full Metal Alchemist, so I have no idea what their strengths and weaknesses are. I might get the manga from somewhere though, depending...  
BlackChaos105: Sorry, Naruto's not the guy on the mountain. I worded that wrong. That guy on the mountain's introduced in this chapter though. Naruto's world is coming up, although not the next world. Oh, and happy birthday!  
The Elven-Spear: Sorry, but then again, none of the enemies were there for long now were they?  
werewolf21: Trick Fantasy (Aladdin), Eden's Garden (Kairi) are Limits. Dracon Requiem is Kurai's, but it's not a Limit, just a skill he uses. He used it first when he went slightly berserk, back when Sora found Kairi in his castle. Heh, thanks for the vote of confidence.  
Iaveina: Glad you liked it! Hope you review more!  
chronosking819: Heh, nice to see you here again. xD Hope you like this chapter!

Now that that's done, on with the story!

* * *

"Pathetic." 

As the Limits of the defenders reduced the VenomMyotismon X to digital data, then destroyed the remnants of the invading force, a wave of dark energy roared across them, stopping them cold. Kurai cursed. 'Damn, I forgot about that guy on the mountain…'

With a mighty leap, the figure standing on the mountain that even Sephonia couldn't look directly at literally flew through the sky, landing lightly before the defenders of Radiant Garden. Blond hair fluttered slightly in the wind, tied back with a black headband, a massive black sword with a purple jewel in the centre of what looked like vines forming its crossguard, narrow yellow eyes leering at the Wielders, dressed in flowing black robes, the foreboding man stood before them.

"Tenshi? Ha! It's been a while, hasn't it?!" he cackled madly, leading Sora, Riku and Kairi to believe that he was mad. Yet the cold yellow eyes that gazed upon them were anything but mad, more wild and feral than those of a human, but not mad.

"Lucia… Rareglove." Kurai's eyes narrowed. "I was hoping it'd be longer."

Sora settled into his battle stance, Final Form keeping him hovering slightly above the ground, Oathkeeper and Oblivion floating in the air behind him, ready to strike out the moment he called. "Kurai, who's he?" he asked.

The man, Lucia Rareglove, laughed again. "Who am I? You must've been living down a hole for some time, Wielder of Light!" Then his eyes narrowed even further as he gazed into Sora's blue eyes. "Black Zenith."

Out of nowhere, a black orb of darkness appeared, moving slowly towards Sora, speeding up suddenly just as it came near him. Sora, who had been nearly hypnotised by the deceptively slow movement of the orb, was knocked out of the orb's path by Riku, and the two turned around to see the orb make contact with one of the walls of Radiant Garden. To their horror, the part of the wall that made contact with the orb simply disappeared as though they were never there, leaving a round hole in the wall.

Lucia smiled, a sickening sight for all who were watching. "Whoops, missed." He raised the huge sword that he was holding in his hand, which morphed into a slender blue single-edged blade. Then he simply disappeared.

Sora looked down. He couldn't help it. Along his waist was a slash wound that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He coughed, bringing up blood, and was vaguely aware of Riku doing the same thing next to him. Turning his head, he saw that Riku was covered in slash wounds, and as he watched, another appeared along his arm, although it didn't look like anything had touched him. Strangely enough, it didn't hurt, in fact, his head felt light, and he didn't feel anything at all.

"Sora!"

From somewhere, he heard Kairi's voice, and he struggled to answer, but he couldn't for some reason. Then he heard her scream, and the tone of her voice carried great pain. His eyes blazed for a moment, but then it faded. Her voice seemed to be fading as well for some reason, and everything seemed to be growing dim…

"Hey. Get up."

Struggling up, Sora saw that he was in his inner world, reverted out of Final Form, and he spun around, expecting to see Roxas. To his surprise, what stood before him wasn't Roxas, but what looked something like himself when he was in Anti Form. Startled, he leapt back, summoning Oathkeeper and Oblivion into his hands. Yet for some reason, only Oathkeeper appeared, and to his surprise, Oblivion appeared in his Anti Form's hand. "What the-? What's going on?"

His Anti Form laughed, and his laugh seemed to be a sick parody of Sora's own, and his voice held a slight echoing. "Don't 'what' me, partner. You know who I am!"

Sora swung Oathkeeper out to one side in vehemence. "I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't know why you've got my keyblade, but I want it back!"

Sora's Anti Form narrowed his eyes as he grinned maniacally. "Come and get it… If you can, partner!"

Two voices filled the room.

"Bankai!"

* * *

Kurai grunted as the light blue sword of Lucia fought the thin black blade of Betrayal for supremacy. Putting more pressure on Betrayal, he slowly forced Lucia back, only for him to disappear and try for a strike at Kairi. Kurai cursed, disappearing and reappearing next to her, taking the strike on his blade as he manipulated it up, then down to try and put Lucia off balance. The wily dark warrior leapt backwards, the light blue sword he held lowering his weight until he could reach supersonic speeds, at least on the same level as Ichigo's Bankai, if not faster. 

Ever since he had unleashed the Silfarion blade he now held, Kurai had been hard-pressed to fight him, especially since he had to protect the bystanders at the same time. He was the only one who could come close to the speeds that Lucia could reach, and he relied on that speed. 'Bastard's been training hard ever since me and Haru beat him back then… I _told_Haru we should've killed him, but the Rave Master's too kind for his own good…'

Suddenly, a large blast of white light erupted from Sora's body where he had been leaning against a wall ever since Lucia had fatally wounded him. Kairi was to one side crying her eyes out as blood trickled down a gaping wound in her thigh, and Riku was standing over Sora, his eyes blazing despite the numerous slashes that covered him, Way to the Dawn solid black in the twilight that was falling.

Lucia leapt away just before the light reached him, disappearing and reappearing a way off, still sneering at them. "Well, it seems like I've awoken something, eh Tenshi?"

Kurai spun around, cursing again. "Sora!"

With a click of his fingers, a portal opened behind Lucia, and he stepped casually through it. "I'll see ya later, Tenshi. And when I do, both you and the Rave Master will die… Haru Glory! Tenshi Kurai!" His sickening laugh echoed throughout the ruins of Radiant Garden as the rest of the invasion melted away.

Kurai slammed his fist into the ground, creating a massive crater around him as he seethed. It was rare to see the silver-haired angel so emotional; it was a mark of how agitated he was since he usually controlled his rage better. He spun around, disappearing and reappearing by Sora's side.

Sora's eyes were wide open, staring into nothing, blank as a smooth rock. Occasionally, his hands would twitch, and his mouth would contort as if from exertion. Sweat covered his body, running in rivulets down his sides onto the ground, and every now and again he would cry out, his brow furrowed.

Kurai's eyes narrowed. "He's burning up… Aerith… Where's Aerith?"

Leon spoke up, having tried to fight Lucia and paid for it with a massive slash all down his chest. "She went back to Traverse Town to gather some supplies. Luckily, she wasn't here when the assault started, and we managed to fire off a message to tell her not to return for now. I'll go get her if you want."

A massive spear planted itself before his feet. "I'm goin', Leon. You stay here and watch over 'hese young 'uns." Cid thumbed his nose, ripping the spear up from the ground and shouldering it. "The fastest Gummi pilot ever born, Cid Highwind, 'ill get her back right quick." He grinned, winking as he snubbed out the cigarette in his mouth by spitting it on the ground and grinding his foot over it. Turning around, he ran off to the hangars, barking off orders as they prepared his Gummi Ship, the _Shrera_, ready.

Kairi threw herself to the ground next to Sora grabbing his arm, then letting it go with a sharp cry as his skin nearly burned her. "Sora! Get up, you hear me?! Sora!"

* * *

Perspiration poured down Sora's body as he stumbled slightly, barely blocking a blow from Oblivion with Oathkeeper. The fight had drawn on for a long time now, and he was getting tired, yet his alter-ego seemed to be still fresh. 'What... is he?' 

"Oh? Is that all you got, partner?! Cleaving Sun!" His Anti-Form laughed crazily as he slashed forward with Oblivion, sending a black wave that undulated through the air, ripples of energy cleaving off to strike Sora as he parried them with Oathkeeper. "You're weak!"

"Shut up!" Unlike his usual twin bladed Bankai armour, he now only had one blade on his right arm, the armour covering his left hand as usual, but with the absence of Oblivion, it wasn't so much a weapon as a defensive armament. Swinging the single keyblade forward, he ducked under a vicious blow from his Anti-Form, who was armoured exactly like him, but since he lacked Oathkeeper, his armour was completely black, while Sora's was completely white. To make their anti-thesis even more pronounced, his Anti-Form was left-handed, while Sora was right-handed, both veering on ambidextrous from the numerous times Sora had wielded dual keyblades.

Leaping up, Sora executed a spinning slash, using the momentum to spin his whole body around for a kick to the Anti's head, only to find his armoured foot connecting with Oblivion as the Anti swung his right fist forward, which ricocheted off the wing that closed around Sora.

"Just die already." His Anti-Form kicked him in the head too fast for him to block or doge, sending him reeling back. He saw the black blade of Oblivion come shearing down, and brought Oathkeeper up, but for some reason, his speed seemed to have gone, and he was a few inches short as the obsidian keyblade ate into his shoulder. He screamed.

* * *

Kairi touched a hand to her cheek, her eyes wide and unseeing. Bringing her fingers to her eyes, she focused, and she gasped. Blood trickled down her fingers, and she looked back down at Sora's body. A new wound had seemingly materialized out of nowhere, a deep wound that cut deep into his shoulder, and blood had sprayed out, showering Kairi with fine red drops. 

Kurai swung Betrayal before him, sending off another roaring black energy blade that flew up into the sky and disappeared. He had been doing this for the past ten minutes, taking out his frustration as he sent energy blade after energy blade into the sky, his stamina seemingly endless. 'Dammit Sora… what the hell's in you?!'

Riku slouched on the other side of the wall Sora was leaning on, his fists clenched, his silver hair shadowing his face as his eyes flitted everywhere, trying to think of a way to help his friend. His mind ran through thousands of possibilities, rejecting them in turn. Sighing, he delved back into his mind.

"Dawn!" he called. "Where are you?!"

Within moments, his keyblade spirit was before him, this time dressed in a tight-fitting white tank top and a black miniskirt, her long silver hair left loose around her. "What is it? No, don't tell me. Sora?"

Riku nodded, his blue eyes boring into Dawn's calm gold ones. "D'you have any idea what's happened to him?"

Dawn made a face, putting a hand to her chin as she thought. "Well, I haven't heard anything from Oathkeeper or Oblivion, and there's some kind of screen around his mind. Also, I can't get through to Roxas."

Riku's eyes narrowed a bit at this. "You know Roxas?"

Dawn bonked him on the head with a rubber hammer she somehow produced from nowhere, then waved her hand at the ground, forming a small bench for the two of them to sit on. "Of course I do, idiot! I was with you the whole time, remember?"

Riku cringed as he felt the slight bump on his head, joining her on the bench. "Right. My mistake."

Dawn grinned mischievously up at him. "So, heard anything from my sister yet?"

Riku immediately turned away, blushing deep red. "N-No! How can I? I'm not supposed to wield her, right?"

Dawn's grin widened. "We were talking y'know, before you came in. About you. She likes you too."

Riku's blush grew deeper, if it could. "Look, I don't have time for this! D'you have any idea what happened to Sora or not?"

Dawn settled back comfortably, grinning as she thought, 'He's so cute when he's flustered. If only I wan't a few thousand years older than him…' Her smile widened when a thought struck in her mind. 'Maybe Dusk's Wielder would suit him…'

Riku eyed her warily. "I don't like that smile on your face."

Dawn pouted cutely, looking up at Riku with big puppy dog eyes. "Who, me? Why? Don't you like my smile?"

Riku smacked a hand to his head. "Never mind."

Dawn's face grew serious. "So… as for what happened to Sora, I have no idea. I can't get into his mind; it's been mentally blocked out with some kind of screen. I've had a little talk with Eternity and Oathgiver as well. They can't get in, but they sense something between their counter-parts."

"Counter-parts? And who's Eternity and Oathgiver?" Riku looked confused for a second, then his brain made the connection. "You mean… Oathkeeper and Oathgiver, Oblivion and Eternity?"

Dawn nodded, her face taking on a thoughtful expression. "Y'know, I heard Trust talking about them a long time ago… Apparently, they were Ruin's keyblades, just like he was Kurai's."

"This just keeps getting weirder…" Riku dragged a hand through his hair. "So you have no idea what's happening to Sora?"

Dawn shook her head. "Nope. But maybe Namine might know…?"

Riku's eyes widened as he processed it. "I forgot all about Namine! She should be able to get into Sora's mind…" He got up, turning to Dawn. "Thanks, Dawn. I'll see you when I do." Closing his eyes, he felt himself return to the physical world, as though no time had passed.

Back in his inner world, Dawn was pacing frantically. "Now... how do I contact Sis? I wanna see how Riku reacts when he meets Sis' Wielder…" she muttered.

* * *

Sora leapt back, blood streaming from another wound in his chest, despite his Bankai's armour. "Damn… he's at least at my level… maybe higher, and he doesn't get tired!" he muttered to himself. Dodging to one side, he rolled under another strike from Oblivion, only for the armoured fist of his Anti-Form to hit him in the back, sending him flying. 

"Tch. Not even a challenge." His Anti-Form turned around, walking away, mocking Sora with each step he took. "When I kill you, I'll take over your body, then I'll take Kairi into a little room and have some fun with her!" he cackled.

Sora struggled to his feet, his brown hair hiding his eyes. "What did you say…?"

His Anti-Form turned back to face him, grinning as he watched Sora get up. "Oh? You're pretty stubborn, partner."

Sora lifted his head, and his now violet eyes shot across the expanse to stab his Anti-Form in his gold ones. "I said, '_What did you say?_'"

The Anti-Form took a step back, eyes widening at the intense aura that was starting to surround Sora. White, black and gold all wrapped around him, before exploding out, sending his Anti-Form several metres back as he struggled for a footing. "What the…?"

A light golden shade came over Sora's violet eyes, dying them amber, his irises slitted. "Touch her, and I'll rip you apart." Lifting Oathkeeper, he swung it lightly down to his side, and a massive energy blade roared out, leaving a scar in the land that reached all the way to his Anti-Form, screaming by his Anti-Form's left. Then he disappeared.

The Anti-Form spun around, Oblivion ripping outwards towards Sora as he appeared behind the Anti-Form, only to disappear and reappear before him. 'Fast…!' his Anti-Form thought as Oathkeeper slashed across his chest, ripping through the Bankai armour like a hot knife through butter.

Sora's eyes held no emotion at all as he disappeared, narrowly avoiding Oblivion as it smote the air where he had been. "Oath's Fulfilment." He raised Oathkeeper into the air, where it hummed and released a bright light, blinding his Anti-Form.

"Dammit!" screamed his Anti-Form. He slashed Oblivion before him, releasing a wave of darkness, but the light hummed once, and the darkness dissipated. But inside his head, the Anti-Form was grinning. 'Interesting. So the idiot was this strong. Looks like Oblivion was right.'

Sora disappeared, reappearing at intervals all around the wide open expanse, moving so fast that afterimages of himself were being left behind. Oathkeeper trailed behind him, leaving a trail of light, so it seemed as though beams of light were crisscrossing all around the clearing. Suddenly, he twisted his foot, diving in onto his Anti-Form with all the speed, velocity and momentum he had built up in the space of a few seconds. The beams of light trailing from Oathkeeper followed, smashing brutally into the hazy black figure, who had no time to block or parry as Sora slashed right through his midriff, his hair again falling forward to shade his eyes from view.

The Anti-Form exploded into shreds, melting into the air and disappearing as Sora fell to his hands and knees, Oathkeeper and Oblivion both falling onto the ground with loud clangs as his Bankai disappeared. Panting, his eyes reverted back to his normal cerulean depths before he passed out.

* * *

Phew. Heh. Well, now I can rest! Tomorrow's my birthday, so I'm taking a day off from writing. Wish me luck having fun and relaxing! xDDDDD Pleae review, too! 


	27. Body of a Nobody

Sorry 'bout how long it took for me to get this Chapter done, but like i said, exams are coming up (Two weeks from now), and I don't have a lot of time to spend writing. Plus, I don't have any action scenes for a while, and those always take me a shorter time to write. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this Chapter!

**To my reviewers**  
bailkatanas: Thanks for that. And thanks for the Birthday grats! Hope you enjoy this Chapter.  
Shire Folk: Thanks for the birthday grats. Yeah, I didn't know what possessed me to stick Anti-Form in there, but since I did, I'd better have a good reason. This chapter should explain how the Anti-Form got there in the first place. He probably will like the Wielder of Dusk, although I haven't made up my mind who she actually is in the first place yet. And yes, they need some R and R. They're gonna get it though, no worries!  
SauronBane: Heh, As anyone who read this can tell, this was inspired by Bleach.Kurosaki VS Shirosaki anyone? With the whole going into Bankai thing too. At least you liked it, although there aren't any big explosions.  
BlackChaos105: Heh, told ya I'd get it in for your birthday. Hope you like this Chapter, since it's the last Chapter before...  
werewolf21: Thanks for the birthday grats, and I hope this Chapter explains why Anti was there in the first place.  
The Elven-Spear: It is, isn't it?  
heartsword: Would your name have anything to do with Rurouni Kenshin by any chance? Anyways, thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter.

With that out of the way, on with the story! 

* * *

"Sora…?" Sora thought he heard someone calling his name. Wincing, he opened his eyes, to see a pair of cerulean eyes framed by wine-red hair gazing worriedly down at him. "He-Hey Kairi." Instantly, he was caught in a massive hug by the Wielder of Love, causing him to black out from the pain of his injuries.

"Sora? Sora! Sora, I'm so sorry!" cried Kairi. Blood was running down her clothes and body from both her own wounds and Sora's, but she didn't care. At the moment, all she wanted to do was make sure Sora was alive, but it didn't look like she was doing a very good job of it.

Riku stepped forward, a small grin on his face as he noted the shallow rise and fall of Sora's chest. 'At least he's alive…' he thought. Placing a hand on Kairi's shoulder, he slowly pulled her away from the invalid. "Kairi, get away."

Kairi shook her head vehemently, her eyes never leaving Sora's body. "No! I'm staying here 'till Aerith comes!" Her hands balled into fists next to her.

"Well, I'm here. Will you please move aside, Kairi?"

Kairi started at the gentle voice behind her, and she turned around to find a woman dressed in the same shade of pink as her, long brown hair tied back in a long plait, a heavy-looking staff in one hand and a basket of fresh flowers in the other as her green eyes gazed serenely at her. Behind her, Cid grinned at Kairi as he thumbed his nose.

"'Alf an hour! New record, set by Cid Highwind! Remember that!" he shouted in glee. "'Alf an hour, there an' back again! Beat that!"

Standing up hastily, Kairi put a hand to her head, caught by a sudden spell of dizziness. She stumbled a bit, then fell to her knees again. Her vision wavered, and then her world went black.

* * *

"Kairi…? Are you feeling better now?"

Kairi awoke to find herself in her inner world. "Namine? Oh Namine!" She leapt forward, throwing her arms around a startled Namine. "Sora! It's Sora! What happened to him? Even after that man left, he still kept getting hurt! What's happening to him?!"

"It's a test."

Kairi spun around, glaring at Oathgiver. "A test?! I don't care what it is; I just don't want him getting hurt anymore! Sora… I can't just keep standing by like that!"

Eternity shot Oathgiver a look that told him plainly that he should leave the talking to her, and he was glad to oblige. He took a small step back, while Eternity took a small one forward, both of which Kairi noted warily. "Kairi, Sora has had to do what he would have done eventually. I trust you have heard the story of the Dragonlord?"

Kairi nodded, her eyes still narrowed. "Kurai's story, right?"

Eternity nodded. "Yes."

Kairi's eyes remained narrowed for second longer, then opened wide in horror. "No!" She shook her head, her eyes still wide, staring at nothing as she screamed. "No, no, NO!" She fell to her knees, her body shaking.

Namine hesitantly placed a white clad hand on Kairi's shoulder. "Kai… ri?" Her own eyes opened wide as she felt the horrible shaking that Kairi was going through, down to the very core of her body. "Kairi!"

Oathgiver gave Eternity a look that said plainly that he had expected this. "Eternity!" he hissed. "C'mere." Eternity glanced at the distraught Kairi, who was gripping her head with her hands, then turned and walked back to Oathgiver, her eyes worried and her brow furrowed.

"Oathgiver, do you think I was too abrupt?" she asked worriedly. "But she deserved to know, she wanted to know…"

Oathgiver sighed as he gathered the short brown-haired woman into his arms. "Look, maybe we should've broken it to her more gently. I mean, knowing that the one you care about has a raging demon in his head isn't a good thing."

Kairi looked up, her eyes furious. "What do you mean by 'raging demon'?!" Her normally cerulean eyes had turned blood red, swirling like fire and she got to her feet slowly. Behind her, Namine slowly backed away, afraid of her ferocity.

Oathgiver stood before Eternity, shielding her with his body. "Heh, precisely why we didn't want to let you know. Well I suppose it's too late now." He grinned at her, his likeness to Sora causing her to falter mid-step.

Waving a hand at the ground, a small garden literally bloomed out of nowhere, flowers of all kinds mingling among the lush green grass as a small white bench appeared, morphing out of the very ground. "Sit."

Kairi sat. Oathgiver sat down beside her, while Eternity remained standing behind and slightly to the side of him. Namine hesitantly stood beside Kairi. "Well… where should we start… Hmm… well, how about we go back to when Sora was made a Heartless?"

Kairi just nodded, her blazing eyes fixed onto Oathgiver.

"Well. You know that when Sora stabbed himself with the Heart Unlocker, he became a Heartless, and Roxas became his Nobody? And that Namine became your Nobody, although you weren't made a Heartless?"

Kairi nodded again. She knew all this already; she didn't see the point of saying anything.

"Then when Sora returned to you and you identified him, he returned from being a Heartless. But what no one knew was that there was a piece of the Heartless left inside him."

Kairi leapt out of her seat, spinning around so she landed facing the keyblade spirit. "WHAT?!"

Oathgiver raised both hands in defence. "Hey, we weren't totally formed yet, and we're the only ones who could tell. It's because of the connection between the Wielder of Light and the Wielder of Love. Not even Dawn could tell. That's Way to the Dawn to you."

"Then why didn't you tell me?! We could've… could've…" Kairi stuttered.

Oathgiver sighed. "Do nothing, right? There wouldn't have been much point knowing, when we didn't know what to do now would there?"

Kairi hesitated, then nodded, defeated. At Eternity's beckoning, she returned to the bench. "So what's that Heartless bit got to do with Sora being like he is now?"

"The bit of Heartless left in Sora's body can't exactly do anything; almost everyone has it, in fact, everyone except the Seven Princesses, which includes you, Kairi. It's what makes people able to become Hearless in the first place. That's also why you couldn't be turned into a Heartless when Sora stabbed himself with the Heart Unlocker." Oathgiver continued. "Now, do you remember Anti-Form?"

Kairi nodded. How could she forget that writhing darkness that had covered Sora, and had almost a will of its own?

"Anti-Form is formed from that Heartless bit inside Sora whenever he fails to enter a Form. Each time he attempts to go into a Form, success or fail, the Heartless gains strength. Final Form suppresses the Heartless, yet does not weaken it. Why it does, no one knows. But since Valour is one of Sora's favourite Forms, he feeds the Heartless regularly."

Kairi's eyes were wide open again, maroon depths giving way to aqua worry. "But the Anti-Form hasn't surfaced in months! He's never failed in morphing into a Form; he's never turned into Anti-Form anymore!"

Eternity sighed. "That is the first sign of danger. When the Anti-Form within Sora gains conscious enough to be sentient, to have its own thoughts, to be able to hide its presence. We should have been wary, but we were not wary enough."

Oathgiver nodded. "I think the thing that caused our estimations to be off was Bankai. Remember how you first discovered your inner world when you had to achieve Bankai? We suspect the same thing happened to Sora. If that's the case, then we can only assume that something happened inside that we are not privy to know. Everyone has a different way of attaining Bankai. You had to discover yourself, and how Sora felt about you. I suspect that Sora and Riku both had to fight their respective keyblades."

"Fight… Oathkeeper? And Oblivion…?" Kairi murmured. "But isn't that… impossible? How can you beat them?" She shuddered as she remembered the power that had flowed through the two when they had performed their Limit, Eternal Session, and how the powers that had been channelled through their keyblades had seared through her mind.

"Woah there, quit jumping ahead, lady!" Oathgiver laughed. "I said fight, not defeat. I doubt any of them actually defeated Oathkeeper, Oblivion and Way to the Dawn. They're still millennia too young."

"So… If Sora went into his inner world… Did he see the Anti-Form?" asked Kairi tentatively.

Oathgiver shook his head. "Nope. At least, not that time. He came out of it perfectly, gaining Bankai at the same time. But him entering his inner world let his Anti-Form know that he was able to do so, and he could take the chance the next time he entered. Besides, the Heartless wouldn't be dumb enough to take Sora in front of both his keyblades, and Roxas to boot."

"Then…? Why now? Why now of all times?" Kairi was starting to cry again, but this time silently, not even brushing away the twin rivulets of silent liquid running down her cheeks.

Eternity stepped behind her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I wish I could tell you why, just to stop your suffering, Kairi. But we do not know. Who knows when the darkness strikes?"

Suddenly, Namine, who had been silent all this time, spoke up. "Roxas…?" Her voice was quivery, almost deathly silent.

Kairi spun around at the tone of her voice, and gasped at the sight that she saw. Namine's face was pale white, even paler than normal, and her eyes were wide at hearing how Roxas' home in Sora's mind had been invaded. Her whole body was shaking much like Kairi's had been earlier, and her eyes were gazing off into nothing.

"Nami…ne…" Without saying anything else, Kairi had gotten off the couch and placed her arms gently around the white-clad girl who was her Nobody. "Don't worry… they're both strong, they'll be back, if only for us…"

"But Kairi…" Kairi had to strain to hear her voice, even though Namine's mouth was right by her ear. "Anti…"

"Hush… Everything'll be alright, just wait and see." Kairi pulled back enough for Namine to be able to breathe and winked. "Trust me on this. Sora and Roxas'll both be alright. This is them we're talking about. They couldn't lose even if they wanted to."

With a sob, Namine threw her arms around Kairi, leaning into the red-haired Wielder of Love. "Oh Kairi! I'm just so worried… if Roxas'd died… I wouldn't have known what to do…"

Kairi grinned amongst her own tears that had begun to fall again. "You do love him, don't you? I was right all along…"

Namine shook her head slightly, but not as though she was denying it. "How did you know? How did you know, when I didn't know, Kairi?"

Kairi smiled softly as she gazed up at the top of her inner world, which opened into a blue sky the exact shade of Sora's eyes. "Because I'm the same, Namine."

* * *

Aerith's brow was furrowed, her normally calm green eyes troubled. "What happened to them, Leon? I've never seen anything like this, not even back in Midgar…"

Leon shook his head. "I don't know. Some strange man with a huge sword that can warp appeared, and he attacked us. Sora came off bad. Everyone else got wounded too, except…" He gazed over to where Kurai was now sitting, his silver hair coming forward to hide his face as he gazed at the ground silently.

Aerith gazed at the Dragonlord intently for a moment before returning to her ministrations, staunching the wound on Sora's shoulder. "The wound doesn't seem to be from an external weapon, it's almost as if it's exploded outwards from inside his shoulder…" she murmured.

"It's been like that for a while now, Aerith. Every now and again, a wound would suddenly appear, even after that Rareglove guy left." Riku stood by, covered in bandages. "We've been trying to stop it, and it seems that we've succeeded, but we don't know if it'll suddenly start up again."

Aerith nodded, standing up and closing her eyes. Holding her hand out to one side, it glowed with an unearthly green light, and her staff leapt into her hand from where it had been lying on the ground. Opening her eyes, they glowed with the same heavenly light as she raised her staff high, twirling it in a howling arc around her. "I am one with the Earth, the Earth is one with me. When we die, we return to the Planet. When we live, we bring life to the Planet. Now open the floodgates of the Lifestream to return youthful life to weary strength. Great Gospel."

In the sky above her, a great portal appeared, and a light rain began to fall. The liquid drops were green instead of clear, yet the green was not that of an unhealthy, sick green, but was that of a pure emerald, healing instead of defiling. The drops healed whatever they touched, be it the scorched ground, the mattered castle, the many wounds of the defenders. As Riku watched, the rain lightly fell over Sora, healing where they fell. The wounds sealed up, the blood stopped flowing, and the aqua eyes fluttered open.

"Kai… ri?" he asked softly.

"Shut up." Riku's eyes glistened with tears, yet they didn't fall. "She was so worried 'bout you she passed out. Idiot."

Sora grinned weakly. "Sorry."

Riku punched him lightly on the shoulder. "It's not me you should apologize to. Anyways, won't do you any good if she's passed out."

"Who's passed out?!" A red blur shot past Riku to wrap itself around Sora. "Sora! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hug you so hard!"

"Woah there, Kairi! I'm alright now, so don't worry!" Sora was taken aback at the sudden tackle, but he managed to brace himself before he fell. Grinning, he ruffled Kairi's hair a bit. "I heard you knocked yourself out. When I said that, I meant for you to enjoy yourself." He grinned roguishly.

Kairi slammed her fist into his shoulder. "Shut up! Why is it always you?! Why do you keep getting hurt?! Don't you know how worried I get?! How Riku gets?! How we all get?! What happened to you?! Oathgiver said something about Anti-Form…"

At the mention of the Anti within him, Sora's eyes darkened. "Yeah. He wanted my hide. And he wanted… something else as well." He almost said 'you', but managed to hold himself back, he wasn't sure what Riku or himself would do if he said that out loud. "I managed to beat him, but he was hard. He has all my strength and power, and more than twice my stamina. I only managed to beat him because of y- Because I didn't want to die, not yet." Again he barely managed to keep himself from saying 'you'. He didn't know why he didn't want to say it, he just didn't feel comfortable.

Suddenly, he felt a tall dark presence behind him. Spinning around, he was caught up by his collar by Kurai, who brought him up so that they were face to face, Sora's feet hanging almost a metre off the ground. "Sora, if you do that to me again, I will kill you, then drag you back from Kingdom Hearts and kill you again, you hear me? Kirin will never forgive me if I let his successor die!" He then grinned, and place Sora back on the ground. "Did you beat him?"

Sora nodded, then cocked his head to the side, his eyes conveying an unspoken question.

"How did I know? You forget who you're talking to." Kurai pointed at himself. "I've got a dragon in me, what more don't I know?"

Sora grinned right back at the tall angel. "Right, I forgot." He rubbed the back of his head, his grin widening.

Kurai sobered up, turning to Aerith, who was smiling at them, yet looked visibly worn out from the use of her Limit. "Thanks, Aerith. You might not know me, but I've known you for a long time." He grinned again.

Leon put a hand to his head in frustration. "Don't mind him, Aerith. He does that all the time."

Aerith smiled gently. "The Planet remembers you too, Tenshi Kurai. Ever since you begged the Lifestream for the life of the Wielders before, it will forever remember your plea. It is sorry it cannot fulfil your prayer."

Kurai threw his head back and laughed. "So that prayer actually got through? I remember trying to personally rip open the earth to get to the Lifestream. Luckily I didn't, eh?" The Dragonlord then turned to Sora. "Sora, you feeling alright?"

Sora nodded, then winced a bit as a groan echoed in his mind. "Yeah, I'm alright, but Roxas…"

Instantly, Kairi was in his face. "How's Roxas?! Namine's worried sick!" She grabbed his arms, looking deep into his marine eyes.

'_Heh, I'm still alive, Sora. Try and make yourself passive for a moment, I wanna try something.' _Roxas' voice sounded.

'Passive?' asked Sora in his mind. 'Whadaya mean? How?'

'_I'm not really in the mood to explain stuff right now, Sora. Your Anti-Form just kicked me out of your head, then took my place, and worried the hell out of Namine. Just don't think of anything. Kinda just let me take control.'_

Sora, startled by his Nobody's tone, complied, and instantly found himself in his inner world. Then he heard Kairi scream. He tried to return to his body, but Roxas spoke in his mind, his voice echoing around the room he was in. _'Relax. Everything's alright. She's just startled, that's all._'

"Startled? Why?" asked Sora. Roxas' response was to concentrate, and all of a sudden, Sora found he could see through his body's eyes, even though he couldn't control his body. His own eyes opened wide. "Roxas…? Did we just… switch places?"

Roxas laughed. _'Yup. Kairi screamed because you suddenly morphed into me. Right now, you're the one in my head, and I'm the one who's in the physical world. Of course, I'm still a Nobody…'_ Roxas' voice trailed off.

Sora thought for a moment, grinned, and waved his hand at the ground. To his glee, an effigy of Roxas appeared out of the very ground. 'Yes! Looks like I can manipulate this. So this is how Roxas does it eh…?' He grabbed the effigy's shoulders and started shaking it.

Back in the physical world, Namine, now in the physical world as well with a bit of slight coaching from her to Kairi, watched with slight humour as Roxas started shaking back and forth, as though someone was shaking him.

'_Sora?! What're you doing?!'_ his enraged Nobody shouted in his mind.

"Shut up! I don't care if you're a Nobody, you're MY Nobody, y'hear? And I won't abandon you! You're coming with me, since you're already me! You got that?!" Sora shouted as he continued shaking the effigy. Stopping, he pulled back and kicked it, and Roxas winced as he felt the pain.

'_Alright already! Geez, talk about skits…'_

* * *

In the physical world, Roxas was rubbing the back of his head much like Sora did. "Sorry for the worry, Namine."

Inside Namine's head, Kairi giggled. "He even sounds like Sora, Namine!" Namine turned a bright shade of red in her mind. _'Shush, Kairi!'_ Physically, she shook her head. "I… don't mind. Just don't get too beat up, okay…? And tell me before you go?"

Roxas grinned, giving a thumbs up. "Sure! Well, I suppose we'd better get going now, won't we?" He looked unsure.

Namine nodded, her eyes flitting to the ground. "Su-sure…" She shuffled her feet a bit.

Roxas smiled again. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll see each other physically again. I'll see ya, Namine!"

Namine nodded, smiling properly for the first time since she switched with Kairi, then a white light enveloped them both and when it faded, Sora and Kairi were standing where Roxas and Namine stood, with slightly dazed looks on their faces.

Sora was the first to recover. "Well, that felt… weird…" Kairi nodded.

"Interesting… I never thought that a Nobody would've been ale to switch with a Somebody's body…" Kurai watched the proceedings with interest. "Would be interesting, considering your Nobodys' powers. Roxas can control Samurai Nobodies, and Namine can control memories."

Riku watched as well, grinning a bit. "I'm glad I don't have someone living in me, wouldn't be fun switching my body in and out." He yawned and stretched. "Well, I dunno 'bout you guys, but I'm dead tired. I'm going in there to sleep it off."

Kurai clapped his hands. "Well, I can go one better. How 'bout you guys get a break from fighting and visit Destiny Islands? It'd be a good little resting trip now wouldn't it?"

Sora and Kairi's eyes lit up, and even Riku looked slightly enthusiastic. "Really? When we set out on that quest the King told us to, I didn't expect to be able to return till we found the Queen!" Sora's eyes looked sad for a moment. "Mom cried when I left… She'd be happy if I went back, even if it's only for while!"

Kairi ran to the Gummi base, smiling at the way everything had been restored by the incredible Limit of Aerith Gainsborough. "So it's settled then! We're going home!" 

* * *

Well, there you guys go. A nice long one, although it's not as long as some others I've had. Still, hope you guys liked it! Please review!


	28. Home is Where the Heart is

Well guys, I'm back. Thank God... Exams really get on your nerves. Anyways, here's 28! BlackChaos... here you go!

To my reviewers:  
bailkatanas: Thanks for that. I hope the explanation wasn't too long-winded.  
Shire Folk: It might be, but then again, it might not be... A story-teller never reveals his secrets. xD But the reactions... You're not far off the mark, but you haven't reckoned on me deciding to throw a nice little spanner in the works now did you? Hehehe...  
werewolf21: Thanks for that. Sorry this isn't soon, but this is the earliest I could get it out without killing myself.  
Kee Blayd: Tragedy might strike it, but then again, it might not. I ain't saying nothing.  
BlackChaos105: Yes, this is the chapter. I hope he fits what you thought, and I hope it works...  
DusandDan: This isn't a crossover per se, more a typical Kingdom Hearts universe where Sora and Co. jump to different worlds in their attempt to keep the Heartless at bay. I hope you like this!

* * *

Sora literally jumped out of the _Terra_, landing face first in the sand of the main island of Destiny Islands. Waving his arms frantically, he made sand angels, spurred on by a childish exuberance, before flipping onto his back, panting heavily as he laughed. Kairi giggled, and Riku grinned as he leaned against the door of the _Terra_.

"Sora, calm down. We're home, shouldn't you go visit your mother first?" he said, pushing himself up. "You were the one who said she'd be worried." Leaping lightly down, he knelt down by Sora's side to punch his shoulder gently.

Kairi jumped down as well, and the door to the Terra sealed up before the airship lifted off to hover in orbit around Destiny Islands. Kurai had left them behind in Twilight Town, saying he had business to do, and had told them that they had one week before the quest to save Queen Minnie would be undertaken again. When asked how they could have so much time to spare, the ex-Wielder had said that they had taken Queen Minnie as a hostage, and they wouldn't be killing her anytime soon.

"Sora, meet me here tomorrow evening, alright?" Kairi leant over the Wielder of Light, her hands behind her back as her clothing stretched tauntingly across her body, proving to the doubters just how well her body had built up.

Sora gulped from where he lay on the ground, trying to avert his eyes as he valiantly attempted to answer. "Uh, sure, Kairi. Tomorrow evening, right?"

Kairi nodded, cocking her head to one side as she smiled teasingly. "Yup. Don't forget, 'kay? It's a date!" She turned and ran off, laughing.

Riku grinned as he lay on the ground next to Sora. "Want a tissue?" he asked, his eyes slyly taking in Sora's nose.

Sora looked absently over to Riku. "What?" He cocked his head to one side like he often did, making the evidence trickle away from his mouth.

Riku sighed and pointed at his best friend's nose. "Nosebleed." He held out a tissue. "Want one?"

Sora was motionless for a moment, then suddenly exploded into movement, leaping up and running to the sea, which was mercifully still at the moment. Looking in, he saw the trickle of blood that was coming out of his nose, and frantically splashed his face, blushing crimson. Years of living on the islands had built a resistance to salt water, and although he coughed and spluttered, he was used to it.

Riku laughed, getting up and dashing sand from his clothes. "Well, I'm off. Mom and Dad must be worried sick. I never told them how long I'd be gone."

Sora coughed one last time as he wiped the last of the salt water from his face. He waved at Riku without turning to look at him, then laid back onto the sand, panting. Closing his eyes with a sigh, he smiled happily. 

* * *

"Oi! You dead?! Sora!" A foot made painful contact with Sora's head, knocking him awake from where he had fallen asleep on the beach. A pair of hands grabbed him by the shoulders, then started shaking him furiously, and a loud voice echoed in his ear. "If you're dead, at least say so! Sora!"

Sora rolled to his side, battle reflexes taking over as he planted a foot into the ground, lifting off and sending himself flying, landing softly on the ground, hazel eyes narrowed. Then he blinked, and his eyes widened as he saw the teen standing before him.

"Leo!"

The teen flicked his black hair out of his eyes, crimson eyes on Sora, a smirk on his face. He crossed his arms, sitting on the ground as he cocked his head to one side. "Heh, why the panic? It's not I'm trying to kill you now am I?"

A little embarrassed, Sora rubbed the back of his head, chuckling a bit at himself. He walked over to Leo, sitting down next to him. "Long time no see, Leo. How're the Islands?"

Leo grinned, shrugging. "Well, they're no different. A year isn't a lot of time to change, and you haven't even been gone that long." He punched Sora's shoulder lightly, just like Riku often did. "And besides, nothing ever changes anyway. I heard it didn't the last time you were gone, before I came."

Sora punched him back, grinning. "Really? I would've thought you'd have a girlfriend by now." He winked, an evil glint in his eye. "Selphie?"

Leo recoiled visibly, looking horrified. "Her?! No way! I like her as a friend and all, but too close and she'll kill me without even meaning to!" He grabbed his throat with both hands for emphasis. Then he grinned again, this time slyly. "And have you and Kairi got together yet?"

Now it was Sora's turn to jump, turning beetroot red. "Wha-?! Kairi… I mean… uh…" He looked around frantically for an escape route.

Leo threw his head back and laughed out loud, but not mockingly or too unkindly. "You mean you haven't?! For crying out loud! Anyone can see you're crazy for her!" As Sora opened his mouth to protest, Leo held up a hand. "No, don't you lie to me; anyone can see you'd give anything to do her." His grin turned a little feral, as his eyes smirked at Sora. "Am I right, or am I right?"

Sora balled his hand into a fist. "Don't talk about Kairi in that way!" His eyes were narrowed again, brown giving way to the white of the Wielder. He dragged a hand through the air, stopping half way before he could complete the arc and summon his keyblade. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply, then opened them again, this time blue.

Leo was watching him, a small grin on his face again as he noted Sora's reaction. "I was kidding. Jeez, over-reaction much?"

"It wasn't funny, Leo!" Sora growled, sitting back down, but making sure to visibly leave some space between the two of them. "I don't think of Kairi that way!"

Leo pulled one leg up, resting an elbow on his knee and resting his head on his hand. "Yeah, yeah. You know you want her." He turned his head fractionally to the side, so he could observe Sora from out of the corner of his eyes. "So, what's going on? You never did get a chance to tell me why you up and left just like that two months ago."

Sora laid on his back again, placing his arms comfortably behind his back as he gazed up at the calm blue sky. 'Two months… has it really been that long?'

'_Yup, obviously. You don't notice the time pass by if you're fighting for your life though, so I guess it's not a surprise you didn't notice.'_ Roxas' voice echoed in his mind.

Leo was a teenager almost a year older than Sora and Kairi and the same age as Riku. He had medium-length raven black hair and blood red eyes, and could always been seen wearing loose clothing, disliking form-hugging clothes. Sora couldn't exactly remember when Leo turned up; he just did one day, saying he was a transfer student, although Sora could've sworn that he'd never seen him around Destiny Islands before. However, even with his sarcastic nature, the trio easily made friends with him. He had an obsession with knights and the like, always saying that he was a knight and choosing Kairi as his princess, although he approved of Sora and was always taking any opportunity to set the two up.

"Confidential." Sora grinned at the other teen. "Can't tell you anything, it'd be against the law."

"Aw man!" Leo jumped onto Sora, pretending to wrestle him as Sora struggled to break free from the older teen's grip. "That's not fair! I guess I'll have to get that other guy on a date with Kairi after all…"

That got Sora's attention. With a mighty heave, he pushed upwards with his back, flipping up onto his feet as he glared at Leo. "Who?! What date?!" he shouted. "With who?!"

Leo recovered smoothly from the sudden push, flipping over in the air and landing softly on his feet, his shoes hardly making an imprint on the soft sand. "Just kidding."

'_You're a sucker for that, you know? All he has to do is mention Kairi and you go off the hook.__'_Roxas' laugh rang out. _'Get a grip for crying out loud.'_

'Shut up.' Sora just managed to grit out in his mind.

Leo was laughing out loud, rolling on the sand at the look on Sora's face. "Man! You should've seen the look you had on your face!" He clutched his sides as he laughed. "You could've killed someone!"

'Yeah, you!' Sora shouted in his mind, which had Roxas both cringing and laughing at the same time. _'Calm down Sora! I'm in your mind here, and I don't like the pictures of a mutilated Leo one bit!'_ came his Nobody's voice, both laughing and shouting at once.

Leo suddenly sobered up, his crimson eyes narrowed. Without saying a word, he turned and ran off. "Sora! Take care of Kairi, or I'm coming after ya!" he shouted just before he rounded a corner, leaving Sora looking bemused.

"Well, he always had a habit of running off like that… Roxas, got any idea why?" Sora rubbed the back of his neck in frustration as he turned and started walking to his house.

Roxas gave the mental equivalent of a shrug. _'Search me.'_ But inside the ex-Organization XIII member's head, which was inside the Wielder of Light's head, sparks were flying. After all, back in the Organization, he'd done the same, hadn't he? 

* * *

"SORA!"

Sora felt something inside himself melt at the way his mother threw her arms around him, followed by a smaller pair of arms around his legs as his little sister hugged him tightly.

"I'm home, Mom." He smiled through his tears at the haggard-looking woman before him, and his eyes narrowed, a sudden sense of foreboding pounding into his head. Turning to his sister, he knelt down to her level. "Has everything been alright?" he asked, being careful to keep a certain emotion from entering his voice. His eyes raked hers, blue like his own, probing and searching. "Everything fine?"

His sister nodded. "Yup! Everything's fine!" But Sora didn't miss the slight tilt of her head, the way her eyes unconsciously flicked up to where the stairs were and the minute tremors under his feet that told of feet walking, trying to be quiet.

Running into the house, he found exactly what he'd expected, the house spotless and immaculate. Without pausing, he ran to the kitchen, his trained eyes slitting for a moment as he absorbed the information he found there, before running up to his mother's room and flinging the door open. With a bright white flash, Oathkeeper was in his hand, and he pointed the keyblade at the man cowering in there, looking at the keyblade in fear.

Sora's face held no emotion at all; blank as a rock, but in his mind, Roxas was buffeted around in an emotional storm. _'Hey, Sora! Calm down! Sora!'_ The Nobody grabbed hold of the only thing that seemed stable, letting go instantly with a cry of pain as he felt a surge of hot energy rush through him. He had felt the surge before, at times when he was fighting people he really hated. _'Rage… Fury… Anger…'_Roxas' eyes were wide as he waved a hand through the air, opening up a visionary tunnel that led to Sora's eyes, glancing down at the man who was trying to hide himself.

Images flashed through Sora's mind, tears rolling down his own face, the shouting of a man and the screams of a woman, the crying of a little girl, the pain of a fist on his cheek, the heavy impact of a chair thrown across the room, the slamming of a door, the painful wrenching sobs of a woman whose heart had been broken.

"I'm back, _Dad_." 

* * *

"They're back."

"The Wielders?"

"Yes."

"How long are they staying?"

"I don't know."

"Find out, and report to me."

"I will."

"Have more come?"

"Yes. I have… disposed of them."

"Good work. I will leave matters in your hands. Destroy them, Leo." 

* * *

I don't think any of you expected that now did you? Don't worry, I'll try and explain stuff in the next chapter, but of course, I won't reveal all... I'm evil, ain't I? Please review! 


	29. Revelations

When I say I don't want to give up on this fic, I sure as hell mean it. Only way this is dying is if I die, get it?! Cough. Er... Yeah. Anyways... Sorry for the length of time I took for this update. Writer's block totally got to me. Plus there're too many distractions in my home. Meh. Sorry.

**To my reviewers:**  
DusandDan: Is he now? Never jump to conclusions. Especially when I decide that spanners are much for fun to throw into the mix than plot holes.  
bailkatanas: You're not surprised? I would've thought that'd be a surprised. Maybe a single mom, but I definitely wouldn't have thought that Sora'd have an abusive father. Hence why I threw it in here.  
Shire Folk: I'm hoping the Grace of the Valar'd stop me from getting writers block, but the light of Earendil and Elbereth don't seem to be doing much in that aspect. And flaming will be met with... something you won't like very much. xD But after reading this chapter, you might understand what he went to _dispose_ of.  
BlackChaos105: Relax. I have my plans for him. Stay tuned.

On with the story! 

* * *

Sora sat down at his table, making sure that Oathkeeper was in plain sight. To make his point clear, he purposely left it out of his reach, then absently summoned it to him, making his father shiver in his shoes as Sora glanced at him disdainfully.

Sora wasn't usually this cold; even he was surprised at himself. But then again, he thought he was justified. After all, his father _had_ run out on them when he was three. And then come back only to wheedle as much money out of his mother as she could give, before running to the nearest bar to get stoned. It was, therefore, only natural for Sora to gain a hate for this man, who dared call himself their father.

'_Oi Sora, calm down! Hey!_' Roxas' voice echoed in his mind, but he blocked it out, concentrating his glare on his father.

"So, what have you come back for? We don't welcome you here anymore." Sora threw his words at his father. "If you're here for money again, piss off."

"We- Well… I uh… just uh… passed by… Dropped in to see how you were doing… and… uh…" Sora's father's eyes flitted around, looking everywhere but into Sora's brilliant white eyes. "Just taking a look at how you've grown…"

"You knew I wasn't here." Sora countered fluidly. His eyes caught the flickering gaze of the older man and bore into them. This was a side of him that he rarely showed. "Which is why you came, isn't it?"

Suddenly, his sister ran into the room, dragging their mother behind her. Tears were running down the woman's face, while his sister's face was set into a determined frown.

"He tried to get more money out of Mama!" The little girl glared at their father, then ran to Sora, hugging him around the waist again. Sora almost didn't acknowledge his sister, the only sign being him draping his arm lightly around her, his eyes continuing to bore into his father.

"I see… So that's why you came here again." He got up. "Didn't I tell you? When I told you to scram a year ago, I told you never to come back." With a simple gesture, Oathkeeper flashed out of existence on the table top into his hand. "I warned you."

Suddenly, his eyes slitted into the yellow irises, and he recoiled in his mind. Roxas did as well. "S- Sora…? What's going on…?"

The dracon eyesight revealed that the man kept shying away at the minute flashes of light from Oathkeeper, his eyes solid yellow, although when Sora was looking at him with the eyes of the Wielder earlier, he looked perfectly normal. He raised Oathkeeper suddenly, and this time, there was no mistake, Sora's father shrank away, cowering on the ground.

"Who are you…?" Sora growled, his voice low. "You're not my father…"

To his surprise, the man started to chuckle, first low and rumbling, then he threw his head back and guffawed loudly, suddenly seeming to show no fear of Sora. "So… you saw through it…"

Sora lunged forward with Oathkeeper, but the man was too quick for him, melting away like liquid shadow and reappearing behind his mother, holding a knife to her throat. "Tsk tsk tsk. I should've raised you better, shouldn't I, Sora?"

Sora's eyes narrowed. "What…?"

The man laughed again, just as Sora's mother passed out, bringing her weight onto the knife. "Whoops!" He grabbed his 'wife's' neck, stopping her right before she could slit her throat on the knife, dangling her in the air.

Sora wasn't exactly sure what happened next, but the door suddenly slammed open, a blast of dark energy rearing inside and snatching the knife out of his 'father's' grip, throwing it so hard it embedded itself up to the hilt in the wooden wall. Sora's first thought was Kurai, his second Riku, but he was mistaken and surprised at the person who stepped inside the house.

"Yo, Sora. Sorry t'crash the party." Leo grinned at him, darkness exploding all around him and the keyblade he held in his hand, crimson eyes glowing. 

* * *

"Le- Leo…?" Sora was understandably dumbfounded, and his face showed it too.

"_Sora, six o'clock." _Roxas' voice rang out in his mind. Sora spun around on pure reflex, bringing Oathkeeper up to clang off another knife that the man had somehow conjured out of nowhere.

"Oho…? You don't seem so confident now all of a sudden, Sora."

Sora strained against the man's superhuman strength. Gritting his teeth, he managed to push him back a bit, sending a few rays of light flying off the pure white blade of Oathkeeper. "Argh!" The man leaped back, a hand over his eyes as he lashed out with his knife.

For the rest of his life, Sora would never know what it was that caused his mother to choose that exact moment to step forward. Maybe it was shock, maybe it was fear, maybe it was even pure reflex. But all that Sora knew was that he would have given anything to have been able to stop her. For she stepped right into the path of the blade.

Crimson spray. A death rattle.

There was no scream. For years after that, that would've been the only thing Sora could clearly remember. The knife slid neatly into her neck, cutting off whatever could've been a scream into a kind of gurgling, muffled by the blood that bubbled from her jugular. The knife stopped slicing through her neck, before the man pulled it out. The small slurping sound that echoed throughout the silent room anchored itself firmly inside Sora's head as the knife finally broke contact with his mother's neck.

"Well well well… That was a waste of a heart…" The musing of the man who had killed Sora's mother filtered through Sora's ears. "It would've tasted pretty good too… Full of angst and sadness."

"You…" Sora growled. But he was stopped by a hand gripping his shoulder. He turned around to see Leo shaking his head, then point over his shoulder. "Not now, Sora, you've got bigger fish to fry. I'll clean up this mess."

Looking over Leo's shoulder, Sora saw again the figure who had been haunting him in his nightmares, ever since he first woke up in the fissure just after he entered Kurai's dimension. "The Twilight Thorn…" he murmured.

Leo nodded. "Yup. Apparently, it's not the first time it came here. It seemed to know where to go."

Sora turned to the mysterious teen who had knocked one knife out of the murderer's hand, only for another to appear and take his mother from him. "Leo… Who _are_ you?"

Leo grinned, giving him a thumbs up. "It wouldn't be fun for me to just _tell_ you now, would it? Find out yourself, Wielder of Light!" With that, a sphere of darkness surrounded Sora, moving him outside his house, then slamming the door shut.

"Wait!" shouted Sora. "My sister!" He ran back to try and open the door, but it was held tight with a darkness that he couldn't banish, even with his light. "Leo!"

"Sora! Trust him! Kurai sent him!"

Sora whirled around to see Kairi and Riku running towards him, Kairi throwing her arms around him in relief. "You're safe… you're really safe…"

"What's going on…?" asked Sora, still in a small daze from seeing his mother killed right before him. "Tell me! You guys seemed to be better informed than I am!"

Kairi shook her head, her long red hair flying in the sea wind as she gazed up into Sora's cerulean eyes with her own teary ones. "We don't really know… We were with our family, when all of a sudden Nobodies burst into our houses. Leo came to save us all. We didn't even know there were Nobodies on the island!"

Riku nodded, Way to the Dawn humming darkly in his hand. "That's the gist of it. He told us that he was stationed here at Kurai's request. He also said something about a shapeshifting Nobody running loose on the island." His eyes narrowed as he caught the tears streaming down Sora's face. "Sora…?"

"Shape… shifting…?" Sora murmured, his lips barely moving. "Then…"

Riku walked over to Sora's side, turning around as he arrived by his friend to look at the Twilight Thorn. The massive Heartless seemed to be looking for something, turning his head from side to side, almost seeming to sniff the air. "Sora… What exactly happened in your house…?"

"I can explain that. Later. But for now, we need to eliminate this threat."

Leo had appeared out of nowhere next to them, the door to Sora's house now open. His sister ran out unharmed, darting straight to Sora and throwing her arms around his waist, sobbing heavily. "Mom was… Mom was…!"

Kairi was looking from Sora to Leo in confusion, while Riku's eyes darkened. Turning to Leo, the Wielder of Dawn asked, "What happened to Sora's mom?"

"The shapeshifter killed her." Leo answered calmly. "I took care of him afterwards. Painfully." He looked towards the sobbing girl. "Then I disintegrated her body. I didn't have time for a proper burial. I did it as fast and as dignified as I could."

Riku nodded once, then turned to face the Twilight Thorn. "Sora, I'll take care of this one. Kairi, stay with him for now. Leo, I'd like to take this one alone."

Leo glanced over at the silver-haired teen, thought a moment, then nodded. "Go ahead. I'll be your backup. Princess, stay back."

Kairi nodded, not even reacting to being called Princess by Leo. But then again, she was used to it. A year of being called that during the peace time was enough to get used to it. Her eyes never left Sora's, then finally, she closed her eyes and leant against the shocked Wielder's body, resting her head on his shoulder. Softly, she started to hum under her breath, cradling the teen and his little sister.

"Dawn, you ready for this?" Riku asked his keyblade as he walked casually towards the Twilight Thorn, who had stopped its sniffing and was starting to turn laboriously to face him.

"_Hmm… Looks big, but size ain't everything. I say two minutes. Five at max."_ His keyblade replied confidently in his mind, and he saw again the image of her face back in Soul Society, right before he exited his inner world to the sight of Kurai and the dragon, a beautiful angelic face, yet still terrifyingly powerful.

"Let's go then." With that, Riku leapt off, landing lightly on the Twilight Thorn's arm while leaving a black trail behind him. He stood up, flicking Way to the Dawn out slightly, and the trail solidified, becoming a wave of energy that sliced through the arm he was standing on easily.

The Twilight Thorn roared in pain, firing a blast of energy at Riku, but the agile teen merely dodged, leaping over the blast to drive his keyblade deep into the Heartless' forehead. "Good night."

Pushing away lightly, he landed deftly on the ground as the mighty Heartless dissolved into nothing with a final roar, a large pink heart rising up from thin air where the Twilight Thorn's heart would've been, should it have one, drifting on the winds back to Kingdom Hearts.

"One. Knew two minutes was a bit long." Riku smirked a bit as he hurried back to Sora. 

* * *

"I guess you can call me a Wielder of sorts. Darkness'd be the one I wield. Riku, you wield Dawn. Sora wields Light. Kairi wields Love. So I guess that leaves me with Darkness. Anyways, I've always liked the night."

Leo grinned at the three teens before him as he explained. Sora still looked slightly sad; there were more lines on his face, and his eyes were lacking their usual sparkle. Yet he seemed to have recovered remarkably well.

"Kurai was the one who sent me here. Y'know, the angel. I don't have any memories of my life before I met him. He was the one who trained me, and although I couldn't learn his manipulation of light, I've kinda mastered his manipulation of darkness. Kinda like you, Riku."

Riku frowned. "So how did you come up here?"

Leo grinned again. "Kurai has his ways of manipulating stuff to turn out his way." He lounged back on the sand, placing his hands behind his head. "Anyways, Kurai sensed a Nobody entering Destiny Islands a while back. It was a long while too, you were probably only a kid back then. This was after the…" Leo faltered a moment, his brow furrowed. "Y'know, that _thing_ with the dragon in him and all…"

Sora nodded. "I got it. Keep going."

Leo nodded as well. "Right. Anyways, he couldn't come himself; he was still busy wrestling with the dragon inside him. He told me to come."

"Wait." Riku held up a gloved hand. "You're saying that while looking our age?"

Leo shrugged. "I dunno. I don't remember a lot about how I was born and all. First memory I had was Kurai telling me to come here. As I did, he gave me some info about him and you guys, as well as my power to wield Darkness."

"How did he teach you…?" ventured Kairi timidly.

"I dunno what it was. Something that lets him speak in my mind. Telekinesis I think it's called."

"Telepathy." Riku supplied. "The ability to talk directly into someone else's mind without having to be close to them. Usually used by high-ranking magi and often associated with E.S.P."

There was silence as the other three looked at him.

"What? I read it in a book somewhere."

Sora face faulted. "I should've known."

Leo chuckled a bit, then continued. "Fine, telepathy then. Anyways, he trained me for a long while, until I could take on the Heartless that he said would soon be coming. I kept out of sight of any of the other guys on Destiny Islands by manipulating darkness to hide me, that's something I've always known."

Sora whistled. "How does Kurai know these things? Like when to come, who's coming and all that…"

Leo sat back up again, grinning darkly. "His dragon. It teases him with little bits of info now and then. It has connections to the Heartless Realm, and apparently, it's pretty high up in the ranks."

Sora frowned. "His dragon…? I thought it was another being, not a Heartless?"

Leo shook his head. "When you speak of a Heartless, what do you think of?"

"No brainer." Riku answered. "You know as well as we do what we think of."

Leo nodded. "Little black guys with no hearts in a literal sense. But what do we call people who're cold-blooded, who're inhuman and who kill just for pleasure, yet who have hearts in a literal sense…?"

"They're heart-" Kairi stopped mid-way, a hand to her mouth and her eyes wide in realization. "I… I see what you mean…"

Leo nodded again. "Bingo, Princess. What we call Heartless are merely a specification of a generic trait. You could say that Nobodies and the members of Organization XIII are heartless as well, but that depends on the way they act. To be honest, not all Heartless are heartless, and not all Nobodies are nobodies, right, Roxas, Namine?"

Sora received a mental image of Roxas nodding an affirmative in his head, and looking at Kairi, saw from the expression on her face that Namine had done the same.

Leo grinned, returning to his normal cheery self. "So, the moral of this story is to never judge a book by its cover."

"Right." Sora nodded. Then his face grew grim. "You said that Kurai knew there was a shapshifting Nobody on Destiny Islands. Why didn't he tell you to just eliminate him straight off?" He balled his hand into a fist. "Then my mom wouldn't have had to die!"

Leo's eyes narrowed as his black depths locked onto Sora's ice cold ones. "Nobodies have the potential to turn good. Kurai wanted to test this Nobody. And I was to be the examiner."

"But he failed." Sora spat out.

Leo shrugged. "So it seems to you. To be honest, he passed with flying colours. He fell in love with your mom. Y'know, he's not your birth father."

"I'm no son of a Nobody!" Sora gritted out.

"Never said you were." Leo countered fluidly. "Now that your mom's… gone, I suppose I'll have to be the one to tell you. She wanted to tell you herself, but I guess she can't now, unless you go to you-know-where."

Sora barely caught that information, instead glaring at Leo. "Out with it."

Leo sighed, throwing his hands up. "Fine. Your birth father left on a voyage long ago, only a few weeks after you were born. I remember seeing you and thinking 'Is this really the next Wielder of Light?' after Kurai told me you were. He was a fisherman, but don't let the name fool you, he's not one of those old codgers with mile-long beards and white hair. He was the only fisherman from Destiny Islands, and the whole place came to him for their seafood. And he was one of the best too. Never had a bad day, always came home with a full haul. Some say he made a promise with Poseidon, the sea god, others say he was a god himself, or even a demon of the water. The truth? Kurai told me. He was the Wielder of Water."

Sora sat back in surprise, and if he could see Riku's and Kairi's faces, he would've seen his face mirrored on theirs.

Leo nodded. "I'm serious. In the world at any given time, there're six elemental Wielders, two emotion Wielders, two cross-Wielders, and two governing Wielders. Of them, the most powerful are the cross-Wielders, the Wielders of Dawn and Dusk. Not far behind them, almost as strong as them, are the two governing Wielders, Darkness and Light. The two emotion Wielders are Love and Fury, which in part, the cross-Wielders have as well, which is what makes them so powerful. Dawn wields Light, Darkness and Fury, while Dusk wields Light, Darkness and Love. However, Dawn is more inclined towards Darkness, while Dusk is more inclined towards Light."

Riku's brow was furrowed, his mind in a whirl. "So… I'm stronger than Sora?" He grinned. "I always knew I could kick your backside in a duel."

Sora punched his shoulder playfully. "Shut up." But his eyes remained fixed on Leo.

"Technically, yes, but it also mean you have a temper." Leo grinned wickedly. "So keep it in check. But it's more than that. You might be technically stronger than me as well, but I can whoop you three times to hell with my hands behind my back. Experience and skill have a lot to do with it as well. But there are times when a governing Wielder can be stronger than a cross-Wielder, and that is when they stand beside an emotion Wielder. Kirin and Ruin are one such example. And Sora and Kairi are another."

The two mentioned Wielders darted their eyes at each other, then just as quickly looked away, red patches forming on their cheeks as Leo and Riku watched in amusement.

To change the subject, Sora decided to ask a question. "So… what's His Majesty? What does he wield?"

Leo thought hard at that. "I don't actually know. He seems to wreck all the rules of the universes as we know it. Not even Kurai know what he is. But then again, Kurai isn't sure what he himself is. He calls himself the Fallen Angel, but he wields a dragonblade, so Dragonlord is another title of his. He used to be the Wielder of Dawn though, so ex-Wielder'd be another title. I guess Mickey's just the Wielder of Gold, since we don't have any other info on that."

Sora shook his head to try to clear up the jumble of information he had just been bombarded with, trying to get back to the subject that had led them on this tangent. "So what caused that Nobody to snap? And what happened to my dad…?"

Leo thought for a moment, considering. "Hmmm… I don't know how much I should tell you, but this is the important thing is this: Your dad drowned."

Sora's face registered shock for the fourth or fifth time in the last hour. "Wha…t? Drowned? But wasn't he the Wielder of Water? Didn't you say he was the Wielder of Water? Why would water turn against him?"

Leo breathed out, leaning back again. "Put it this way: At any one time, only one Wielder from each group is active. Of course, there are exceptions, but that's the general rule. The rest of the 'inactive' Wielders stay in Kingdom Hearts, defending it."

Sora looked confused. "But… didn't you say that you are a Wielder of Darkness? If I'm the Wielder of Light, then you aren't supposed to be here! And what's that got to do with my dad anyways?"

"Calm down Sora, I said there were exceptions. Anyways, I'm not technically a Wielder, just someone who uses the name. And I'm getting to your dad; I figure I can at least tell you that."

Leo stopped for a while, seemingly in thought. "Hmm… Kurai said to limit what I said though." It took a moment for this to sink in.

"…What…? Did you just talked with Kurai?" Sora asked.

Leo nodded. "Yup. Anyways, that's not important. I heard you three can do it, right, Namine?" He grinned in Kairi's direction. "So, Sora's dad first. I can't tell you all the details, but let's just say that the Wielder of Water left him."

Sora looked confused. "What d'you mean? I mean, wasn't my father the Wielder of Water? How could he leave himself?"

Suddenly, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, along with Oathgiver, Eternity and Way to the Dawn appeared in the middle of the circle they were sitting in, bright flashes of silver, black, gold and white lighting up the small clearing they were in. Another flash, and the material forms of the spirits faded into view above the keyblades.

"Yo." Oblivion and Oathgiver grinned at each other giving each other high fives as Oathkeeper and Eternity smiled at each other, then Oathgiver walked over to Oathkeeper and hugged her, while Oblivion did the same to Eternity. Dawn just stood there, hands on her hips, legs apart, a wide grin threatening to split her face apart. Then they all turned to their respective Wielders and smiled at them.

"It got boring in there, so we decided to join in the meeting." Dawn supplied them with the explanation. "Anyways Sora, I'll let Oathkeeper and Oblivion explain to ya."

Oathkeeper nodded, then looked at Oblivion, who sighed and stepped forward. "Well, since Oathkeeper doesn't wanna talk, I guess I'll be the one talking for her. Right, listen up. You guys may be Wielders, but that doesn't mean that you guys are Wielders forever. A Wielder is someone who has opened his or her heart, who is capable of wielding a keyblade. However, sometimes, a Wielder may lose heart. When this happens, usually a Wielder can still summon a keyblade, but he or she'll start feeling drowsy, less… Wielder-ish, I guess you can say."

"What keyblade did my father use?" interrupted Sora.

Oblivion clapped a hand to his forehead. "Oh boy…" he murmured to himself. "Sora, your dad was what we call an inert Wielder. He has the power of a Wielder, in this case of Water, and he had the potential to summon a keyblade. However, he doesn't know of any of it. A Wielder is only summoned when the crisis is dire. Didn't Leo tell you that only one Wielder from each group is active at any one moment? Sometimes, not even that many are. Your father was the Elemental Wielder that was supposed to be active, but who never was due to there not being a crisis."

"So I'm more powerful than my dad? Is this some clichéd dream or what?" Sora suddenly felt a surge of anger roar through him. He didn't know why, but he felt the need to hit out at something, just for the sake of releasing his rage. "If there were so many Wielders, why did none of them help? When I was struggling against Ansem, when Kairi was held by Organization XIII, where were these 'Wielders', huh?!"

Leo didn't say anything, and neither did the keyblades. However, now all eyes were on Sora as he glared at Leo, who was the only person he felt he could lash out at. "Why didn't _you_ come?! You call Kairi your 'princess', where were you then, 'prince'?!"

Leo's hair was hanging down in front of his eyes, hiding them from view, yet there was a faint sign of him looking at Sora, what could be seen of his face expressionless. Then a grin flitted over his face. "Gravija."

"You haven't been listening, Sora."

A small dome erupted around Sora, similar to Riku's Bankai, but translucent and on a smaller scale. Sora suddenly felt an intense pressure on him. Gasping, he fell to the ground. He had only felt like this once before; back in the training cavern when they had heard the old shinigami, Yamamoto Shigenkuni-Genryusai, release his zanpakutou, Ryuujin Jakka. That immense pressure would remain locked in his memory, alongside things both recent and long past, good and bad.

"Leo, you–!" he managed to raise his head a fraction, but the heightened gravity pulled him down again, flat to the ground as he fought to draw air into his lungs.

"Sora!" shouted Kairi, turning to Leo, who was watching Sora, the grin gone from his face, a blankness she wasn't used to seeing on his face now dominant. "Leo, what are you doing?!"

"Dawn." Riku's eyes flitted to glance at the face of his keyblade. To his surprise, Dawn shook her head, then returned to watching Sora. Riku stretched out a hand to hold Kairi, whispering into her ear, "Wait, Kairi."

Finally, Leo spoke again. "Gravija. The ultimate gravity magic. Only a few people in the world can use it. Kurai taught it to me. The original form of the magic named Magnet, Magneta and Magnega." Again a sardonic grin lit his face as he snapped his fingers, releasing the magic and allowing Sora to breathe again, his eyes wide, gasping as he lay on the ground, fatigued.

"Sor…a?" Kairi murmured. Riku said nothing, his silver eyes narrowed.

Leo's eyes flitted up to dance over the faces of the other Wielders. "Don't worry. He's fine. I didn't try to kill him, just knock a bit of sense into him. Princess, why you chose him I'll never know, the blockhead." Kairi giggled somewhat faintly at the last comment.

"Ugh…" Sora stood up wobbly, his legs shaking as he tried to get his breathing back to normal. "Leo you bastard… What did you do that for, dammit?!"

Leo shrugged, gazing at Sora from his crimson eyes. "I don't like people shouting at me. Got that?"

Sora growled. Leo smiled right back at him, then tossed his head. "Well, that's it for today. I gotta go take a look at things around the island. Might've a few Nobodies left, and I need to clean up the mess."

"Wait!" Sora shouted. "You created more questions than answers!"

Leo, who had started to walk off, stopped, then glanced over his shoulder. "Have I? That's good then." He continued walking off.

"At the least tell me the name of your keyblade, Leo!"

Leo stopped again, his head bowed. "Chaos. Final Chaos." Then a shadow enveloped him and he literally faded from view.

"Final… Chaos…" murmured Sora. 

* * *

"They found out."

"I figured they would. Did the Nobody fail?"

"Yes. The smell of a heart was his undoing."

"I trust you dealt with him appropriately."

"Yes."

"Hmm… it's hard enough to get a Nobody to stop his instincts. This loss will affect us greatly."

"Love can do that, can't it?"

"Heh, yeah, it can. It sure as heck can." 

* * *

The trio lazed in front of the beach, although Sora's mind was pre-occupied.

"Hey Kai…?"

Kairi tilted her head sideways, gazing at Sora. "Yeah?"

"Is it alright if my sister stays with your parents? When we get back to looking for the Queen?" Sora didn't look at her, his eyes remaining fixed on the pink evening sky.

Kairi was quiet for a second, then she shuffled to Sora's side, draping an arm around him as she lay on her side, snuggling up to the Wielder of Light. "Of course she can. I know my folks will take care of her perfectly."

"What am I gonna tell them?" The matter-of fact words that came from Sora's mouth heralded the first coming of tears since the night before. "What reason would there be for my sis to just spend the rest of her life in your parents' care?"

Kairi whispered in Sora's ear. "Hush, Sora. They won't ask any questions. They won't."

And with those quiet words whispered on the sea breeze, Sora finally let go, sobbing as if his heart would break, sobbing as though his heart_had_ break, releasing the pent up emotion that had been hidden beneath the confusion of Leo's words. And all the while Kairi kept stroking him, whispering comfort into his ears, tears rolling down her own face as she watched the one she loved weep.

A little way off, Riku smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile, more a snarl of vengeance. His hand, attached to an arm that was as usual folded, balled into a fist. The smile of revenge danced around his lips as he thought of what he'd do to the person who had ordered the Nobody to come to Destiny Islands.

"Yeah, that's right." Dawn's voice in his head toyed around with the various ideas before either discarding them or validating them. "Naw, now this is too weak. I say we take the whole arm off, why just the finger?"

In the shadow of the trees, Leo watched, his crimson eyes glowing steadily like coals in the night. 

* * *

Blergh. Romance does NOT suit Kirin. Hope that scene wasn't too mushy. Now, in case you guys still can't figure out what Leo was _disposing _of, it was rogue Nobodies and Heartless running around. xD

As you guys can see, I threw a whole bag of ideas into this fic. Might not suit your taste, but hey, stop reading if you don't like it. Although at the moment, I don't plan on having the fic bombarded with Wielders; this story will still be very much Sora's, Kairi's and Riku's. Well, read and review!


	30. White Angel Black Dragon

Told ya I'd be writing faster now that I'm at school. Isn't that kind of me? Anyways, this chapter actually started as an _omake_ chapter from me to my readers, a kind of bonus story, if you get my meaning. However, overnight it transformed and attacked me, so I had to change it into a full blown chapter. Go figure. Ah well, s'long as you guys like it, ne?

**To my reviewers  
**bailkatanas: I only hope I'll be able to answer the questions. The problem is I've lost track of which questions have been answered and which haven't. xD  
Shire Folk: I told you guys I'm not giving up on this. And I don't go back on my word unless it's a life or death situation. xD Take as long as you need to come to grips with what has been happening: Even I got confused when I read it over. xD As for who sired his sister, here's what happened: After learning of Sora's father's death, his mom got depressed and regularly went down to the pub. There, she met with another man, not the Nobody, who she, drunk, slept with. Responsibilities meant that she must marry him, and he was the abusive father Sora saw in his flashbacks. Luckily, his sister took after his mother, and not that lousy excuse for a human being. The Nobody killed him and shapeshifted into him, but the poor Nobody was bound by the body to continue acting the way he did towards Sora, although his attitude to Sora's mother when they were alone was a lot better. The reason he snapped was the grief in Sora's mother's heart: As the days passed and she dwelled on Sora's father, who was her true love, she grew inward. The Nobody, seeing _his_ true love didn't love him back, slowly grew colder, until in the end he snapped.  
BlackChaos105: Don't worry 'bout it. Can't you see that I did that on purpose? Put Leo in the role of an ambiguous person, one the reader cannot figure out. Only later is he revealed. xD  
RoxasTheOther: You'll find out. xD

Hmm... my chapterly reviewers seem to have dropped back down to the usual three, with a different person appearing every now and again. Ah well. On with the story!

* * *

'Why does this happen to me? What have I done to deserve this? Is this Xemnas' doing? His last revenge against me?' 

Sora sat lifelessly on the beach, hours after Riku and Kairi had left him alone to his thoughts. His thoughts kept running through the same lines again and again, wondering who it was that had caused the whole thing.

'_Don't go killing yourself over this, Sora. Whatever happens, we'll all be by your side. You'll never be alone, so don't try to bear it alone.' _Roxas' voice came to him again, but this time, it didn't seem to come from his head, rather, it came from behind him.

Whirling around, he saw the former Organization XIII member lounging on the sand behind him, grinning at him. _'Yo Sora. Been a while since we last met face to face.'_

"Roxas…" Sora slumped back down, turning away from his Nobody. "Hey."

Roxas frowned, getting up and walking to Sora, then thought a while, nodded and delivered a swift kick to Sora's backside that sent the Wielder sprawling forward into the sand.

Snarling, Sora flipped back up to his feet, spinning around while summoning Oathkeeper, only to find his nose inches away from Oblivion's black tip. Roxas' face held none of his usual humour either. _'Grow up, Sora. What's past is past, live with it and continue living. It's hard, but you have to, for the sake of all of us.'_

"What would you know?! Have you ever lost someone close to you?!" Sora shouted at him. "Have you?!"

Roxas' face remained unchanged. _'Axel.'_

With that one word, Sora slumped back down onto the ground, his energy gone as quickly as it had come. "I'm sorry…"

'_Don't be. I got over it. Anyways, he's still alive. Nobodies never really die, considering we never really live in the first place. We don't exist. How can you miss something that doesn't exist?'_ Roxas' tone was flippant, but his eyes remained steel cold. Still, seeing Sora dismiss Oathkeeper, he did the same with Oblivion and sat down next to the Wielder.

"I'm sorry, Roxas. I didn't mean it that way, but it's just… I can't…" Sora bowed his head.

'_Y'think it was easy for me? Axel was the brother I never had. Come to think of it, he IS the brother I never had. I mean, he WAS a __Nobody.'_ Roxas continued talking, not looking at Sora.

"Shut up! You guys may be Nobodies, but to me, you're SOMEbody!" Sora turned on Roxas.

'_Y'see now?'_ Roxas said quietly, turning to look the Wielder of Light full in the eye. _'This is how you act. Kairi and Riku are both sad for you, yet they haven't turned on you like you've turned on me. Don't continue like this, Sora.'_

With that, the Nobody disappeared, but he wasn't gone completely yet._'C'mere.'_

Sora suddenly felt a mental tug, then his feet started walking, despite his reluctance. "He-hey! Roxas, quit it!"

'_Nuh-uh. You're coming with me Mister Bigshot. Now.'_ Roxas didn't seem intent on letting him, and sighing, Sora went where the Nobody wanted him to go.

To his surprise, the path Roxas took led to the opening of the Secret Area, where he, Kairi, Riku, Selphie, Tidus and Wakka had played in long ago, in times that he had lately forgotten. The fights and wars he'd been in had served to mature him more than his age of seventeen would've thought possible, and he smiled fondly. Then his feet started moving again, leading him inside.

"Roxas…? Why're you taking me here?" he asked out loud.

'_You'll see. Now close your eyes before I force them close myself.'_ Roxas' reply was sharp, but there was still a trace of a grin in it. Sighing, Sora complied.

He felt his body walk through the light pall of darkness that covered the cavern, felt a few creepers brush against his legs. 'It's been so long since we've last come down here… We haven't even been in here since I beat Ansem… then I slept for a year, before having to fight Xemnas… I nearly forgot all about this place…'

'_I like the way you inserted that 'nearly' in there. Made it seem like you didn't totally forgot about it.' _Roxas' tone left no doubt that he knew that Sora had pretty much forgotten about the place. _'Ah, we're here. Open them eyes now.'_

Sora opened his eyes, and what he saw left a lump in his throat. Before him was the chipped and scratched drawings of his and Kairi's heads that he and Kairi had made way back in their youth. Only a few days before the whole fiasco with Kingdom Hearts, he had painstakingly drew his dearest wish on the wall: A picture of him handing the famed star-shaped papao fruit to Kairi's open mouth. Now, there was a new addition.

A hand stretching from Kairi's head to his open mouth.

"Kairi…" he murmured.

Behind him, he heard a gasp. He turned around, and before him, dressed in a light yellow summer dress was the red-headed princess, determinedly looking anywhere but him, her cheeks flushed, breathing irregular.

* * *

"Kairi…?" Sora murmured. 

'_Quit stating the obvious, why don't cha? Jeez… Blockhead.'_ Roxas clapped a hand to his forehead inside Sora's mind.

"S-Sora… I thought you were at the beach…" Kairi's eyes danced everywhere but at the Wielder's face. "You… are you feeling alright…?" She finally gathered the courage to look up. Into Sora's blue eyes, so compelling she forgot to breathe.

"Kairi… How many times have you been down here…?" Sora whispered into her ear. He stood back a bit, allowing Kairi to breathe again.

Kairi turned her head away slightly, trying to slow her heartbeat, gazing back down at the floor. "When you were gone, during and after your year long sleep, I came here everyday. My memories were wiped, but I could feel your presence in here, even though I couldn't remember you."

There was a silence for a moment, and when Kairi looked back up, she saw that Sora had his back to her, one hand tracing the drawing on the wall. She gasped softly as she watched the path his hand traced the most; the drawing she had added when he had left her after saving her and Riku from Ansem. "S-Sora…?"

"Did you draw this…?" Sora's voice seemed to hold a small quaver, but Kairi couldn't quite place it, and decided that it was just her imagination.

"Yes…" she murmured softly, too softly.

'_Try again, Kairi. Please.'_ Namine's soft shy voice filtered through her thoughts, causing her eyes to widen. A surge of courage suddenly filled her, and she ran forward, throwing her arms around Sora's waist. "Yes, I did, Sora…"

"Why…?" The one word that Sora said made her want to spill her heart out to him, but a soft touch on her hand caused her to look down at it. A single shining drop of liquid quivered on her hand, which was directly under Sora's face.

"Sora…?" Kairi murmured.

"Why… Kairi…?" In the soft light that filtered through the cracks in the stone, Kairi could see a single wet trail down the side of face, traced from his eye to his jaw, where the object that formed the trail had fallen onto her hand.

"Because…" Kairi started, then faltered.

'_Kairi, believe. You are the Wielder of Love.'_

Kairi suddenly felt two hands on her shoulders, and turning her head slightly, she saw the translucent forms of Oathgiver and Eternity smiling at her. _'Realize your heart, Kairi. You did when you attained Bankai. Now show yourself the truth.'_

Kairi closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then clutching to Sora tightly, she shouted with all her heart, "Because I love you!"

For another infinite moment, there was silence. Gradually, Kairi became aware that Sora's body was trembling, minute tremors, but amplified when she was holding him.

"I can't…"

Kairi's eyes widened, tears forming as she heard the words she never thought she'd hear. Her hands loosened around Sora's waist, the liquid in her eyes finally overflowing. "S… Sora…?"

* * *

_It is said that when two people share a papao fruit, their destinies will forever be entwined._

* * *

Sora's head was bowed, his fists clenched. "I can't… I can't… I can't!" 

He gritted his teeth, screwed up his eyes, but couldn't stop the tears from running down his face. "I can't lose you, Kairi! Everyone I love ends up hurt or killed, I can't have you in that position!"

'_Sora, you idiot!'_ Roxas shouted in his mind.

"Don't say that; don't say you love me, Kairi... I couldn't... I couldn't take it if something were to happen to you…" He didn't turn around to face Kairi, and even if he did, he wouldn't be able to make out her face from the tears that clogged his eyes.

Suddenly, he couldn't take it anymore. Spinning around, a flash of white light lit the cavern, and he was gone, using his new-found ability to shunpo out of the cavern and to escape from it all. Leaping onto a tree and using it as a springboard to reach another tree, he kept running until he reached the summit of the highest mountain in the Destiny Islands, far away from the Secret Area. There, he threw his head back and screamed.

'_Peh! You're weak! You can't take the pressure, so you run away! I'll show you what a man must do!'_

Sora's eyes opened wide, but although one was his usual cerulean blue, the other was the slitted yellow eyes of the dragon. "No… No!"

'_Ha! You think that you beat me? I LET you beat me, you pitiful fool! You cannot run from me, because I AM you!'_

Sora felt a wrenching sensation, a pain that smote through him, forcing another scream from his mouth as he felt as though a part of him had been torn away. "ARGH!"

'_Scream! Scream all you want, Sora! Hahahahaha!'_

Sora threw his head back again, but this time, instead of a scream, a roar echoed across the Islands.

* * *

Leo ran up, darkness erupting from his very body as he saw Kairi sobbing her heart out on the beach just outside the Secret Area. 

"Princess! What happened?! Where's Sora?!" Then he heard the roar, and his eyes narrowed. "You're joking…"

Within moments, Riku was at his side, Way to the Dawn humming in his hand. "What's going on, Leo?! Where's Sora? Kairi! Why're you crying?!"

A burst of darkness surrounded Leo's hand as he held it out before him, morphing into the keyblade that he had been wielding back when he had first revealed his true self to Sora. "I don't know. But that roar just now, that was Sora."

A burst of flame in the distance caused Riku and Leo to look up, white and black fires dancing, fighting, snarling at each other as the images of a dragon and an angel, the former black the latter white, fought in the depths of the flames.

"What the…?!" Riku gasped.

'_Rik! It's the dragon! I don't know how, but its here!'_ Dawn's voice seared into his head, as the fires in the distance intensified. Then a familiar roar shattered the silence around them. "Damn, I was too late."

"Kurai!" Riku spun around, staring at the angel as Kairi threw herself at Kurai. "Kurai! Sora said… Sora said…!" She sobbed harder than ever.

"Hush, Kairi, hush. Sora's not thinking clearly right now. Everything'll be alright." The ex-Wielder patted her back reassuringly, whispering his words into her ear.

"But he said… he said he can't love me! I love him! How…?" Kairi looked up into the Dragonlord's clear silver eyes. "How… How can I… I don't know…"

"Hush. Sleep, rest." As Kurai spoke, he touched a finger to the Wielder of Love's temple. Her eyelids drooped, then her head did, closing her eyes as she fell into a deep sleep. Kurai lay her down gently on the ground, then stood back up, whipping his hand out to the side. This time, instead of the familiar black dragon blade of Betrayal, the long sword that he had summoned in Soul Society formed in his hand. "Umou, are you ready?"

'_Yes.'_ The voice was ethereal, seemingly female, coming from no particular direction, almost from everywhere at once. _'But Kurai, are you sure?'_

Kurai's eyes seemed to take on another colour entirely, different from both his normal silver hue and the amber rage of the dragon. Pure white flames danced in them, similar to the light that Sora wielded. "When the Wielder of Light gives in to the Darkness, light must fight against light to turn the tide. I'm sure, Umou."

He turned to Leo. "You told them everything?"

Leo nodded. "As much as I could."

Kurai thought for a second, then motioned to Riku. "Riku, stay here and take care of Kairi. This conflict will draw the attention of every Heartless and Nobody in the vicinity. Go Bankai, now." He turned back to Leo. "Bladed Form, Leo."

Riku and Leo looked at each other, then back to the Fallen Angel and nodded. Kurai returned the nod, then vanished.

"Bankai!"

"Bladed Form."

The familiar black dome exploded around Riku again, but he gasped as he turned to look at Leo. The teen was now covered in every single form and shape of bladed weapon in existence, from the keyblade humming in his hand to the huge claymore on his back, from the thin whip-like sword strapped around his waist to the bandoliers of throwing knives strapped over his chest, and axes hung from his belt. His hands were also covered in some form of armour that looked vaguely like gauntlets, yet they had claws that arced over the knuckles, somewhat reminiscent of BlackWarGreymon's Dramon Slayers.

"Why'd you think it's called Bladed Form?" grinned Leo, noticing Riku's stare. Even his head was covered in a helmet, with a visor for him to see through, and on the top of the head was a single horn, while his shoulder armoured bristled with spikes as well. "The ultimate melee form, Bladed Form. For me that is." He turned to look up at the fighting angel and dragon. "No time to be gawking, Riku. Let's go." He turned away from the magnificent sight, facing a growling horde of Heartless. "Protect the Princess. I'll take care of the Islands." With that, he disappeared in a whirl of black.

Riku nodded, even after Leo had left, then faced the group of Heartless that had refocused their attention on him and the sobbing Kairi. "Don't worry Kai…" he muttered under his breath. "Not one of these guys're getting past me." He stole a quick look over his shoulder. "Sora… whatever's going on up there; you'd better get back here. I don't know what you did to Kairi but you'd better not have hurt her. I want answers."

A Shadow leapt at him, only to be shorn in two as Riku began his assault. Hundreds of blades ripped the ground apart, tearing the Heartless into shreds. "It's play time."

* * *

Kairi found herself in her own mind, with Namine hugging her from behind and Oathgiver and Eternity looking at her, both with a smile on their face that seemed both grim and sad and happy all at the same time. 

"What… happened…?" she asked, feeling faint. Then her eyes widened as she remembered what Sora had said and done, and tears came unbidden on her face again.

Instantly, Oathgiver stepped forward, throwing his blue cloak out to surround the weeping girl, hugging her close as Namine stepped away, the Nobody's eyes filled with her own tears. Namine was a kind soul, despite her incredible powers, and she couldn't stand seeing her Somebody in such distress.

"Hush, Kairi. It's alright…" murmured Oathgiver, almost exactly like Kurai had just a little while earlier. "You fainted, and we brought you in here."

"We know what happened, Kairi. But you can see by that that Sora loves you." Eternity's voice was strained, her smile almost painful looking. "Why else would he push you away, when he's surrounded by danger?"

"But I can fight! I can fight by his side! I'm a Wielder too! He doesn't have to go alone, he's never alone!" Kairi cried, still cradled in Oathgiver's arms.

"No you can't." The keyblade spirit in gold and white countered bluntly. "The only way you can fight at the moment is through Bankai. And you don't have the energy to enter that state at any time you wish."

"But… But…" Kairi knew this was true, but she sought frantically for an excuse, only to come up blank as she hung her head in defeat, tears flowing freely.

Oathgiver's face hardened. "Or would you rather we have Namine erase all memories of Sora from your mind?" he asked, softly yet firmly.

Kairi immediately shook her head. "No. Not for anything…" she replied, almost twice as firmly. "Sora's here, he's alive, he's living. I'll never forgive you all if you erase him from my memories." Her face tightened, tears ceasing to fall as she glared at the tall knight.

Oathgiver laughed. "I don't plan on doing anything of the sort. But you know yourself you can't fight. So we're going to teach you."

Kairi, for the first time that night, felt a surge of hope. "How…?"

"Remember what Kurai said?" Eternity asked, then answered her own question. "Ruin was the best mage out of the trio when they were the Wielders. Now, as her keyblades, I think it's time we passed her skill onto you."

Kairi's brow furrowed with thinking for a moment, then cleared with realization, her eyes wide with surprise. "You mean…?"

Oathgiver nodded, smiling once more. Turning to Eternity, he cocked his head to one side. "Whadaya think? Fire? Or water? Her name _does_ mean sea."

Eternity thought for a moment, then a mischievous smirk crossed her face, one that Kairi never thought the stoic, formal Eternity could never have done. "All of them?"

Oathgiver looked surprised for a moment, then turned to survey Kairi, a shrewd but thoughtful look on his face. "I see what you mean. She definitely has the power for it." He turned back to face Eternity. "And by all of them, do you mean _all_?"

Eternity thought again, then slowly shook her head. "No. Except the one."

Oathgiver nodded. "I thought so."

Kairi looked from one to the other, Namine having returned to her when she wasn't looking. "What're you guys talking about? I'm lost here!"

Oathgiver grinned at her. "You'll find out. Now, Kairi, I want you to do what you do when you shunpo. Remember what you learned in Soul Society. How to manipulate your energy. I want you to focus on pooling a large amount of energy in your hand. Go on."

Kairi nodded, then, her brow furrowed in concentration, she closed her eyes. Holding her hand out in front of her, Oathgiver nodded as he saw a red ball of energy form in front of her. It began small and wavering, but as the seconds ticked by, it grew firm in shape, larger and larger.

"Didn't take her long to get the hang of it." Oathgiver muttered to Eternity out of the side of his mouth, grinning. Eternity nodded, smiling as well. "Ruin was the same, wasn't she?" she replied, softly so as not to disturb Kairi's concentration.

Oathgiver shook his head. "Nope. She was slower, she didn't have the experience of shunpo. But she did have natural skill as a magician. Kairi doesn't have that natural aptitude, but she has the power. She may well end up greater than Ruin."

Then Kairi opened her eyes, shining with delight at the ball of energy before her. "I did it! I did it!" Then with a low hum, it disappeared. "Wha…?!" Her face fell with such speed it was almost comical.

Oathgiver nearly fell over laughing. "You shouldn't lose concentration, Kairi. Concentration is the key to using magic. In battle, you have to be able to concentrate so fiercely that nothing else matters, it's just you, your target, and your energy. And you have to trust your comrades to protect you. Knowing Riku and Sora, they'll risk their life to save you. Besides that, you will also be taught abilities that will help you to help them, like sealing wounds and even special Hastega magic that can speed them up."

Kairi's face fell again when she heard Sora's name. But then it hardened again. "I'll prove it to him. I'll show him I can fight, by his side. I'll show him!" Holding her hand before her, she concentrated fiercely again, a smirk that was almost scary on her face as she watched the ball of energy form before her again. Instinctively, she knew what to do, bringing the fire from her heart to bear before her. The minute the mental flames touched the ball of energy, the ball ignited, the flames becoming visible to all as it burned freely before her.

"Fire." She grinned in triumph, the dancing flames reflected in her eyes.

Oathgiver nodded. "Yeah, fire. Now, how can you use that flame to attack? There's a lot of different ways you can manipulate energy. At the moment, your magical prowess seems to be concentrated on emotional power. The elements you can use at the moment are restricted by your emotional mood. When you're angry, it's fire. When you're sad, it's ice. When you're happy, it'd probably be water or wind. Of course, this is all just what I've seen so far from you though. For all I know, it could be the other way round for you."

"But…" Kairi started.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to master each element soon enough, and then you'll be able to call upon them any time you wish. Only problem is, it'll take time." Oathgiver answered before she could finish or even ask her question.

"How long…?" Kairi asked.

"As long as it takes." Eternity replied. "Years if it need be. Remember, in here, no matter how much time has passed, literally none has passed in the Real World."

Oathgiver winked. "But we're not that unkind. Forcing you to train non-stop will suck, so I'd say every now and again, pop in and train. And don't tell Sora, it'll be a lot more fun to keep him guessing. Right now, me and Eternity here'll teach you how to master Fire, which is not only the simplest spell, but also potentially the most powerful, and suits your current emotional state the best."

Kairi grinned, twirling the ball of flame on one finger. "Then let's get started!"

Oathkeeper grinned. "We're already started. I want you to create a block of energy in your arm, and root it there. Then I want you to create a whole lot of energy behind the block, putting pressure on it to push it outwards, but not letting the block go. Kinda like a pressure fountain, if you get my meaning. Just keep building the pressure, until you can't hold it anymore, then let the block go."

Kairi, who had been listening with her brow furrowed, widened her eyes, finally getting where he was going. "So it shoots out, slams into the ball of fire, and fires the ball of flame!"

Oathgiver snapped his fingers. "Bingo."

"She's getting the hang of it faster than Ruin. But she lacks that natural skill. We'll have to teach her that." Eternity noted.

Oathgiver nodded. "Try it, Kairi. But for cryin' out loud don't point it anywhere near us!" He gestured frantically and comically at himself and Eternity.

Kairi giggled, then pointedly aimed at Oathgiver, who grinned as he summoned the keyblade version of himself. "I'm serious, Kairi. At this level, you might release a lot more energy than you want or can control. What might be intended as a tiny spark may well come out to be a raging wildfire."

Kairi frowned, considering the truth of his words. "Fine." Pouting, she turned so she wasn't facing them.

* * *

'At least this is taking her mind off Sora…' Oathgiver sent telepathically to Eternity. 

Eternity nodded.

* * *

I do NOT plan on having Kairi useless. She is a Wielder, and she's gonna fit the job perfectly. .:Frowns at anyone who thinks otherwise:. Anyways, read and review, enjoy! 


	31. Flaming Princess

Yo. Here's the next chapter! To be honest, I don't like it too much, but hey, guess I don't have a choice, since I can't come up with better. Hope you guys like it anyways.

**To my reviewers  
**RoxasTheOther: Ah... Paopu, eh? I knew it looked weird, but for some reason, when I Googled it, I came up with my spelling of it. Strange...  
BlackChaos105: The other Form's in here. Hope you like it. I might give him other forms, it depends. And as for Kairi, I believe that she can be a GREAT mage. However, I think I took it a step too far in this Chapter. I get the feeling that reviews for this one will be less than positive. xD  
bailkatanas: To be honest, I was kinda sad when I read your review. xD But I guess it can't be helped. If you didn't like that Chapter, this Chapter would almost definitely warrant a flame from you. .:Winces:. Ah well. I tried. Sorry for not getting the Chapter to reach you. .:Grins:.  
Shire Folk: Yeah, it kinda came out when I was typing it up, it wasn't what I had planned at all. Actually, the One... oh, nothing. Don't wanna spoil anything now do we? .:Grins evilly:.  
SauronBane: Here's the next Chapter, Sauron. .:Note to self, MUST read Sauron's fic:.  
Kee Blayd: She sure as hell isn't! Just watch her in this Chapter.  
soraluver: Heh, I've always beena SoKairi shipper, so yeah. I'm glad you still like it despite that fact.

Well then, on with the story!

* * *

Leo ducked and weaved through the sky, dodging the bullets with ease as he disappeared in mid-jump, reappearing behind a Sharpshooter Nobody, grinning as its body disintegrated into pieces, shorn by his blades. Shifting the huge claymore in his hand, he deftly sheathed it, drawing the long thin sword strapped around his waist almost like a belt that was flexible to boot. With a flick of his wrist, the blade whipped out, tearing the gut out of a Berserker, then he spun around, the blade snapping and whirling like a wild animal as he spun it in a circle, the tip almost touching the hilt as he deflected a blast of magic from a Sorcerer.

"Heh, when Kurai said there'd be a lot of the bastards, I didn't think he meant it…" he muttered. Spinning around, he lashed out with the long flexible whipblade, destroying the Nobodies that were closest to him, then at the last moment let go of the handle, allowing the thrashing sword to continue on its destructive rampage as his hand went to the bandoliers on his chest, sending out volley after volley of throwing knives. The minute they were empty, he had already disappeared, five blades at once dancing in the air at once as he left some in the air while drawing new ones, slashing and hacking away at the Nobodies and Heartless that crammed the streets of the Islands.

A woman screamed as a Heartless leapt on her, only for the Heartless to be destroyed by a silver blade protruding through its throat. "Get back in your house, lady! This isn't the time to be walking around out here!" Leo turned and leapt away, the long thin whip-like sword ripping through the air again as it sliced through more and more of the Heartless. Clicking his fingers, a whole lot of blades roared out of the ground, similar to Riku's Bankai, dancing through the air as they destroyed the Heartless and Nobodies in the town.

"Ceh." Leo cocked his head to one side. "They might be a lot, but they can't fight worth crap. I was hoping for a bit of a big baddie for me to whoop."

A blast of energy flew straight by him, and a shield made of pure darkness roared up around him, a resounding gong-like sound echoing through the air as it rebounded of the shield to arc high into the air, exploding in mid-air. Leo grinned. "Now _that's_ more like it."

* * *

Riku dodged to one side, a massive fist hammering into the ground where he had been standing a moment ago. Throwing an arm forward, the Heartless was pierced with a huge amount of blades, darkness seeping into its very being and overpowering it, destroying it and allowing another pink heart to fly upwards to Kingdom Hearts.

"You're wasting my time." Riku's eyes were blazing with darkness, the pure depth of the black energy around him roaring up to slam into the whole legion of Heartless that was behind him, about to launch themselves at him. "Get outta my way!"

The dome of his Bankai flickered as he waved his hand, causing another lot of Heartless and Nobodies to be trapped within his killing ground. Within moments, there was nothing left of them, the shredding blades demolishing the Heartless.

* * *

Inside Kairi's mind, she was sweating, her pink clothes soaked as she panted, hands on her knees. "How are you supposed to build up enough energy behind the block? It keeps slipping!"

Oathgiver, who has just deflected another fireball that had erred from Kairi's preferred trajectory, shrugged. "Practice. But one thing I want you to be sure of, me and Eternity, we want you to completely master Fire before we let you back to the material world. Sora needs you."

Hearing Sora's name gave her the strength of will to get back up. Swallowing once, she held her hand out again, a now familiar ball of energy forming in mid-air before her palm. Mental flames from her heart reached up, setting the ball on fire. Frowning in concentration, she formed a mental block in her arm, and then it reached the part where she failed. As she tried to build up the required energy to send the ball where she'd want it to go, her hold on the block itself slipped, and the less than enough energy that had built up rammed into the block, which in its turn rammed into the fireball, sending it on its way. However, the lack of sufficient force behind the blast caused the ball of flame to swerve, making her lose whatever control she had over the fireball, which wasn't much to begin with.

Kairi sank to her knees, mentally and physically exhausted. "Huh… huh…" she panted. Her breath caught in her throat, and she had to force herself to swallow before she could draw breath normally again. "Will it… always be this hard…?" she asked.

Eternity shook her head. "It should not be. At this stage, you should be able to fire the ball easily and without any hardships. This is just the first step to using magic. Fire can be manipulated in many different ways. And the most damaging flame is that that belongs inside every being, the Heartfire. The most powerful Fire spell, Flare, concentrates on igniting that flame inside a person, burning them from the inside out. However, the amount of control and precision needed for such a spell is immense, and if you cannot even manage the control needed for a basic fireball, it would take millennia for you to reach that level."

They had been training non-stop for what seemed to Kairi like days, and it might well have been. Oathgiver's face was creased into a frown, his eyes piercing into Kairi's body, observing her energy flows. "It seems your problem is that you cannot build up the force required for a fireball without it slipping from your control…" he said. "There is nothing me or Eternity can do about that."

Kairi grimaced. "But I must! If I can't, I…" She shook her head, then narrowed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she got back up, holding her palm before her again. Concentrating fiercely, she soon had the fireball in place, then her frown deepened as she reached her problem. Her mental block reappeared, but this time she took the time to anchor it as firmly as she could. Tendrils of energy grew from the block, wrapping around her arm and holding it firm. 'This time…' she thought. 'This time, for sure.'

Again that familiar feeling of pressure behind the block as she built up the required force she needed. A feeling of accomplishment overcame her as she increased the pressure behind the block without it slipping, but then it vanished as the block trembled, then the tendrils slipped loose, and the block slammed forward, crashing into the fireball and sending it flying through the air, where Oathgiver deflected it with a raised hand.

"Interesting technique, Kairi. It takes time, but it works. You'll get the hang of it soon. Maybe increase the amount of anchor points you have, then decrease them bit by bit."

Kairi grinned at him. "I'll try."

* * *

Kurai shook his head sadly as he looked at Sora. His body was covered in the same black substance that Anti-Form did, but this time, instead of forming to his body, it formed the shape of a deformed humanoid dragon.

"Dammit. I promised Kirin. I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to Sora." For once, Kurai's face wasn't smiling, a blank-ness that was even more frightening than a scowl on his face.

A mocking laugh came from Sora's mouth. '_Fool! You can't do anything, can you?! I'll show you how to fight, how to kill, Sora!'_

Kurai didn't answer the mocking taunt. "Oi. You bastard. When did you get into Sora?" He spoke quietly, his voice low, the seething anger all but hidden.

'_Kurai! How nice of you to join us. Tell __me; can you kill this one for me as well? Just like you killed your friends?!'_ Again the mocking laughter rang out.

Kurai's eyes narrowed as he raised Umou. "Enough. _Yuuki wo tenshi no tsubasa ni shitte, Umou._'

The blade warped, a light sheen coming over it as the blade took on an extreme curve, almost like a sickle, only with the cutting edge on the outside of the curve rather than the inside. The hollow of the blade filled with feathers, brilliant white, pulsing with an inner flame as Kurai lifted the blade high, white light spilling from it as his eyes bore into Sora's.

Sora, on his part, just grinned. "Bankai!" he shouted. Kurai's eyes suddenly narrowed. In Sora's hand was neither Oathkeeper nor Oblivion, but another blade, one that Kurai recognised. "You son of a…"

The dragonblade in Sora's hand roared, and Betrayal fired a huge beam of energy at Kurai, which he deflected easily with the released feathered blade in his hand. "When?" he asked. "When the hell did you get into Sora?!"

'_BWAHAHAHAHA! Begging me now are you, he who was the Wielder?!' _he shouted. Black dragon wings formed on his back, familiar armour that was yet unfamiliar wrapping around his body and arms, like both his own and Hitsugaya's Bankai. Black wisps of energy kept escaping from him, like Anti-Form, and his eyes glowed yellow.

'_Come then, you who call yourself the Fallen Angel!'_ His body flickered, and Kurai casually shifted his blade to one side, the black dragonblade ricocheting off the white featherblade, then Kurai made his move. He dropped down, causing the dragon to overbalance a bit, but the wings beat once, and he launched himself up into the air, spinning around and launching another blast of power downwards.

Kurai disappeared, taking to the air as well as his black feathered wings contrasted with the black scaled ones of the dragon. Both disappeared, the clash of light and darkness only visible from white and black flashes in the air as dragonblade and angelblade collided. And over it all rang the shrill laughter of the dragon.

* * *

Leo growled under his breath as he dodged yet another attack from the Crossbowmen that were starting to be deployed by the Nobodies. Sharpshooters and Sorcerers were also abundant, but the intelligence of the Nobodies, though only basic, were enough to know that while Leo was in Bladed Form, it would be much wiser to bombard him with attacks from afar.

"Tch. Guess I gotta switch, eh?" Leo's mouth twitched, almost as though he wanted to smile but didn't want to at the same time. "I'll give 'em five seconds. If they don't send me a force of closeseys soon, I'm gonna lock and load."

A quick spinning move with the long flexible blade reflected a storm of arrows sent his way by a Crossbowman, and a follow-up barrage of spells both weak and strong were dodged from a Sorcerer. "One."

A Samurai ran up, which he tore into shreds. "Not good enough. Two." A Dragoon threw a lance at him, causing him to nearly scream in frustration as he ripped it in two, a knife whirling through the air to bury itself in its head. "Now even the closeseys are attacking me from far away! For the love of…"

The wizened up Nobody sidestepped a whipping blade, but didn't manage to catch the follow-up, a quick movement from Leo causing the blade to ripple through the air and slice the Nobody's head clean off.

"Stuff this," he muttered darkly. "Loaded Form."

The blades wrapping around his body faded into thin air, and were replaced by all sorts of guns, with a mounted crossbow on his right arm, along with barrels all around his body, and alarge cannon on his back.

"Let's lock and load, baby!" he shouted. Bullets lanced the air, with the occasional arrow flying from the crossbow mounted on his right arm, and blasts from the cannon on his back fried some more. All around him a trail of destruction was blazed, and hearts rose to the air in quick succession as his projectiles found the occasional Heartless sorted through the Nobodies. His eyes narrowed.

'What happened to the Heartless anyways? There were so many of them at first, but now it's pretty much all Nobodies…' His mind struggled to find the connection here. Instinct told him there was something, but he couldn't find it. 'Why…?'

* * *

Riku was starting to slow down, his first vehement attack regulated to a destructive pace that would conserve his energy, while still allowing him to fight at near full efficiency. "Kairi, I hope you're alright."

He had guessed that Kairi, when she had fainted, had retreated to her inner world, and experience taught him that the keyblades would be waiting there. Whatever it was, for them to keep her in there so long was proof that something important was going on. A year spent in the inner world of a person was equivalent to not quite a second in the physical world, and a few seconds in the real world was more or less equal to a century inside one's inner world. And the time had dragged on to almost ten minutes. That was near a few millennia in a person's inner world.

It wasn't so much the strain of fighting and sustaining his Bankai that was draining Riku. The concern he had for both his friends was eating steadily at him as well, causing him to worry and nag himself mentally, even through Dawn's encouragement. _'Look, Riku, for the last time, don't you worry your head off about them. They can take care of themselves. I hope.'_

Riku gritted his teeth. "That's not good enough, Dawn! I don't want false hope, I want definite proof!" He slammed his fist into a Nobody, not even bothering to slash at it with Way to the Dawn. "Dammit!"

'_Look, just wait a bit if you're that desperate, Rik. I'll go scout a bit.'_ With that, Riku sensed as though a main part of him had left. It was then that he realized just how in tune with his keyblade spirit he was.

Spinning around, he drew a sword from the ground, a black shimmering blade that tore through the Heartless that gathered around him. "What's going on…" he murmured to himself. "Where did all the Nobodies go…? It's all Heartless…"

* * *

Kairi grinned. With practice that seemed endless, she had finally managed to fire a single ball of flame to go where she wanted it to go. Now that the theory and practice had been ingrained in her, it was getting easier. She still failed a lot though, but after seeing that satisfyingly round ball of fire arc off to hit the wooden target Oathgiver had erected, she was confident she could do it again.

"One more try!" she cried out loud, her eyes blazing red. Raising her hand again, she had no problem focusing her energy, creating a shimmering ball of energy that spontaneously combusted almost as soon as she formed it. Poking her tongue into her mouth, she closed one eye as well, sighting down her right arm with her right eye at the wooden target. "Fire." She muttered out of the corner of her mouth.

The arcing ball of flame flew through the air, landing square in the centre of the target. She grinned, but didn't waste time celebrating. She knew from the few times she did actually hit the post that doing that will only waste her energy.

She didn't know how long she'd been in here; there was no sun or moon for her to measure time by. Oathgiver was a hard taskmaster, he gave her little time to rest, constantly forcing her to concentrate, then trying to get her not to concentrate. It should be instinct. That's what he said. She shouldn't need to have to concentrate, to have to aim, the fire should seek the target out by its own will.

"Close, Kairi. But not yet. Keep trying." Oathgiver encouraged her quietly, without enlarging her head, which he knew would be an unwise move.

"So this is what you guys've been up to in here."

The petite form of Dawn came striding into Kairi's inner world, dark patches marking the areas around her feet, healing over the minute she broke contact with the ground. "Rik's been worried sick. I assume you guys've been here for about a couple thousand years?"

Kairi, aghast, turned to look at Oathgiver, who nodded, his face betraying nothing. "You mean… I've been training for so long, with only that much improvement?!" She fell to her knees, suddenly completely exhausted. "Sora…" she murmured. Tears started to roll down her face again, as she faced what seemed to be an impossibly long time ahead, without the power that she so desperately wanted to have.

Dawn frowned. "I was NOT expecting things to turn out like this, y'know." She cocked her head to one side, still frowning. "I come in here, expecting to see you three getting along fine, then I come in and you guys are tired out. And training I see. I was gonna just walk in and walk out, to reassure Rik. Apparently I've gotta help now."

Kairi shook her head, her natural fortitude coming to the fore again, as she stood up. "I'm alright. I'll crack it, sooner or later!"

Dawn shook her head, reaching up to pull her hood back to reveal her youthful face. "That's not gonna be enough for Rik."

Kairi shook her head again, this time more vehemently. "I WILL crack this! Just watch!" She held her palm forward again, and the flames roared up before her again. "Fire!" The flaming ball arced through the air, slamming straight into the target again. But Kairi had already sent another two balls after the first, both which smashed into the target, only a few millimetres away from where the first one landed. "I'll master Fire, then help Sora!" A whole barrage of fireballs leapt from her palm, slamming all around the target, most of them landing right where she wanted them to, with the occasional miss.

"I'll master it!" she shouted. "Flare Tornado!"

She didn't know where the words had come from; all she knew was that she instinctively knew what to say. A tornado of flames roared up around the target, buffeting it all around the inside, flames tearing and incinerating the wooden target board.

Lifting her hand, her eyes blazed with determination. "Explode!" A small ball of flame landed on the target, engulfing it in a huge explosion, eradicating it from existence.

Kairi fell to the ground, panting. "I… Did I…?"

Oathgiver nodded. "Yes you did, barely." He smiled. "Good work, Kairi."

Kairi nodded, a fierce smile of happiness on her face. "I told you… I told you I'd do it." She bowed her heart from weariness, her red bangs coming forward to hide her face. "I told… you…" She collapsed on the ground.

Dawn turned to look at Oathgiver, a look of complete disapproval on her face. "Now what am I gonna tell Rik? That you overworked her and then she fainted?" She sighed, lightly smacking herself on the head. "Sleepga."

A light powder-like substance drifted in the air around Kairi, glowing faintly green in the light. "Night, Kairi." The whisper left her lips quiet as a sigh, and Kairi's breathing deepened, her face, tight with tension, relaxed. Now that she was in a deep sleep instead of a faint, she would recover better.

She waved a hand in the air as she turned and walked away. "Glad to help."

* * *

Kurai effortlessly blocked another attack by Sora, staying almost purely on the defensive, not even trying to attack. He knew that after a century of training, he could easily kill Sora, and that wasn't something he wanted to do.

'_What's the matter, Fallen Angel?! Can't you attack me? You pathetic excuse for an angel!'_ Sora leapt at him, spinning in the air to build up momentum as he lashed out with the dragonblade.

Kurai blocked it easily, spinning the blade slightly just before impact to direct the impetus of the blow away from him. "Bakuhatsu, Umou."

As he said that, the feathers that he had artfully left behind in the air as he moved his feathered blade exploded, setting off a chain reaction as it exploded again and again all around him, the blast catching the dragon in the chest and sending him flying back with a sudden grunt of pain.

Sora righted himself mid-fall, spinning around and sending himself flying straight at Kurai, the dragonblade poised to slide straight through the angel's ribs into his heart.

Kurai grinned. "Is that supposed to kill me? Fine, I'll let you try." Turning to face the blade head on, he didn't flinch as the blade pierced his skin, diving in to where his heart lay. For the first time, Sora's face showed a sign of disconcertion.

Pure white light wrapped around the black dragonsteel, holding it tight and pushing it inexorably out of Kurai's chest, despite the dragon's efforts. _'What the…?! You… What the hell did you do?!'_

"You wouldn't know, would you?" Kurai mocked him, a grin on his face as the wound closed over without sign of any injury whatsoever. "It's something called resolve." He disappeared, reappearing behind the dragon as he launched feathers all around the black wings, detonating them with a click of his fingers.

The dragon roared outwards from within the engulfing light, the shockwave dispelling the explosion as Sora leapt out from the feathers, swinging Betrayal wildly. Kurai took most of the blows on Umou, easily doging the others, then his body flickered, his face grim as a gash appeared in Sora's armour.

Sora growled it off, allowing the blood to flow freely as he launched himself at Kurai again. Kurai grabbed Betrayal's blade, his eyes narrowing as he felt the dragonsteel slide into his flesh. "Interesting…" he murmured.

* * *

Leo unleashed another hail of bullets around the area, vanquishing enemy after enemy. "Dammit, they just don't stop coming." It wasn't an exclamation, of even an actual complaint, just a comment, a fact.

Another blast of magic razed the air, a slight inclination of his head easily dodging the blast as he fired another barrage in the direction of the blaze. "Sorcerer." He had started to pick up a habit of saying the name of the Nobody or enemy that he had targeted.

Suddenly, he heard a huge roar behind him. His reflexes saved him as he ducked, a massive claw shaving the very air above him as he spun in mid-air, firing a huge shot from the cannon mounted on his back.

To his surprise, the blast glanced off the armour of a huge monster, floating in the air behind him. It roared, and the stink of its breath sent him reeling. "Dammit… a Chimera…"

* * *

Riku danced through another patch of Heartless, leaving behind nothing but pink hearts that floated to the sky. Stopping to rest for a while, he wiped his head with his brow. Kairi had started to stir, and he had returned to his place near her as he held the Heartless at bay.

"So many of them…" he murmured. "Dawn, you alright?"

'_Yeah, never better. Let's have a bit of a par- Riku! Behind you!'_

Riku spun around in surprise, a fireball glancing off a force field he had managed to throw up just in time, the flames licking it harmlessly as he protected both himself and Kairi. The sight of the purple beast before him sent a small shiver of fear down his back, but then the sight of a challenge made him grin. "A Behemoth… eh…?"

* * *

Kairi woke up to see Riku's fierce grin of challenge. "Ri… Riku…?"

Riku glanced down at Kairi. "Yo. Nice to see you doing alright. Get behind me, I'll take care of this fat sonova…"

To his surprise, Kairi got up, a light he had never seen before in her eyes. "No Riku. This is my fight. Please, stand back."

'_I thought she'd never get back.'_

"Dawn…?" Riku muttered. "What's going on? You told me she was fine and on her way, but what happened in there?"

'_It's classified.' _Riku saw in his mind a grinning Dawn.

* * *

Kairi ran up to the Behemoth, dodging a blast of fire from the huge beast as easily as Sora or Riku would've done. To Riku's eyes, she seemed to have become even more graceful since she was knocked out. Casually dodging a powerful claw, she summoned Oathgiver in her right hand, slashing outwards while summoning Eternity in her other hand.

The Behemoth roared in fury as the keyblade bounced off its thick hide, but Kairi wasn't fazed, leaping to one side, she seemed to fade, a red flash heralding her movement from the ground onto the Behemoth's head.

'_Keep going, Kairi. Just do as I tell you. Reach into the Behemoth with your mind, then pour your flame inside. Now!' _ Oathgiver's voice in her head kept urging her on, telling her to dodge, to duck, to move and shunpo.

Kairi nodded, her eyes glowing red as she raised her hand and concentrated. Her energy gathered around it, then plunged downwards into the Behemoth's head, followed almost immediately by a burning red flame that danced almost as if it was alive.

Her mouth opened, and even before she realized it, she had cried out the name of her attack. "Redox Ressurecion!"

The flame changed from red to white, then started to explode, from her hand downwards to the Behemoth, where it dipped into its body and kept on exploding. "Burn!" she shouted, and Riku couldn't help but think that somehow, Kairi had changed into a pyromaniac. It wouldn't do to have another Axel running around, burning the place up.

The Behemoth screamed in agony as the flames started to roast it from the inside out. The new spell wasn't as powerful as the Flare spell that Oathgiver had talked about, but it was still sufficient to get the Behemoth wounded enough for her next spell.

"Sing now the final hymn of the fallen phoenix, the fire of the heavens and the pyre of hell, this shall be the cry of the dragon of the skies. I stand at the gates of heaven to open the gates of hell, let the skyfire come forth!"

The very sky seemed to cloud over, but the clouds held a crimson hue as the rumbling of thunder started to peal. Suddenly, flames poured down from the sky, liquid fire of a crimson hue lancing the air as Kairi leapt off the Behemoth, twisting lightly in the air as she landed. Holding Oathgiver and Eternity up in the air, the flames started to speed up, arcing down in flaming spirals that focused around the Wielder of Love as she gazed mercilessly at the Behemoth.

"Retribution!" she shouted, and the flames launched themselves at the Behemoth. As the flames touched, they melted the very flesh of the Behemoth, and the roars of fury changed to screams of fear and pain.

* * *

Riku stared at Kairi in amazement. "What exactly happened in there, Dawn?" Dawn grinned right back at him. _'That's classified.'_

* * *

Kairi clicked her fingers, and a huge explosion engulfed the Behemoth. "Finish this!" she shouted. The explosion intensified, multiple explosions rocking the huge body of the Behemoth as with a final roar, it disintegrated.

Kairi grinned as she looked at Riku's face. "What?"

Riku only shook his head, unable to respond.

* * *

Kurai, on the mountain peak, felt the sudden change in tempo of the battle. "Heh, looks like it's time. Sorry, Mr. Reptile, but I think it's time to heat things up a little." He raised his hand, a black spiral surrounding it as he grinned at Sora.

"Ultima." As Kurai swiped his hand through the air, Sora pounced, then suddenly stopped in mid-pounce, suspended in the air as the Infinity magic started to work. With slow inexorable power, the very atoms in the air around Sora started to split, one by one, then more as the chain reaction started to split. The draconic eyes were wide as they saw the explosion happening almost in slow motion, tearing the very space and time fabric around him.

Then Kurai was next to him and the true explosion ripped the very space-time apart. Kurai moved with blinding speed, slicing the air apart down at the atomic level, the feathers drifting in his wake adding to the explosion that threw Sora around as the feathered blade slashed the very air around Sora, somehow decreasing the damage done to his body. But the force carried through the atom-less vacuum, drilling into the dragon as Kurai put all his skill and speed to the fore, slashing mere fractions away from Sora's skin.

The dragon roared, and the shockwave halted the blow of Ultima for a while, but Kurai clicked his fingers, and a single feather hiding behind Sora exploded, making him lose his concentration. Immediately, the power of Ultima overpowered the dragon's will, and the exploding chain reaction continued.

* * *

Leo dodged another blast of energy, then countered another using a massive blast from his cannon to turn the blast straight around back at the Chimera. "Time to sharpen them blades. Bladed Form!"

Blades appeared out of thin air, searing through the night sky to slam into the Chimera's thick hide. But the blades didn't penetrate deep enough, serving only to infuriate the huge monster.

The tail of the Chimera whipped into view, the snake head breathing poison as its fangs dripped with the same. "Damn…!" Leo flew backwards, clapping his hand around his mouth and nose. His hand flew to the huge claymore on his back, drawing it in one smooth motion. Dodging the biting head, he turned and slashed once, sending the head plummeting to the ground as the Chimera screamed its fury and pain. The wings spread wide, knocking an unsuspecting Leo off course, straight into the flight of one of its claws.

"Firaga!"

A blast of flame wrapped around the claw, the pain scorching through the creature's arm. Kairi's eyes were closed in complete concentration as Riku leapt up, darkness whirling around him as he aimed a slash at the Chimera's head, hundreds of dark blades following Way to the Dawn's path.

Leo grinned. "Took you long enough, Princess." He held his hand out before him, and Final Chaos warped into view, a keyblade that looked almost mangled, as though it had been thrashed and nearly destroyed, yet still full of power, the black keyblade humming as he slashed forward, a shockwave lashing out to lance the Chimera's side.

"Fearful Flare!"

A single fireball traced a circle in the air, and a portal formed within the bounds of the circle, where a huge number of fireballs poured forth. Only this time instead of the normal red flame, the fire burnt purplish, like hell fire.

Riku narrowed his eyes as he saw the flames scorch the Chimera. As he slashed its paw off, he heard Kairi call out to him. "Riku! Get back!"

Startled, he leapt backwards, only to see a small ball of fire land on the Chimera. As it made contact, a huge explosion engulfed it, and the shrill roar of pain was cut off instantly. Again, Riku witnessed the power of the flames as Kairi vanquished the huge monster almost single-handedly.

Kairi fell back onto the ground, gasping, but she was grinning in victory. "Told ya I'd do it…" she murmured, then she fell unconscious, again.

* * *

Kurai spun around, grabbing the right wing of Sora, as he flipped the teen over his shoulder, where he righted himself and charged again at the angel. Kurai dodged to one side again, swinging Umou up so the feathers caught in the scales of the dragon's armour. His body flickered, the echo of his fingers' snapping fading away with his blade as the explosions rocked the wings of the dragon.

'_Ceh! You persistent feathered bastard!'_ Sora slashed forward, a dancing blast of energy ramming into Umou's blade as Kurai moved his body to one side, allowing the brunt of the attack to pass him by.

"Oh? You talking to me? Right back atcha, scaly." Kurai leapt forward, this time grabbing the left wing as Sora, anticipating another grab at his right wing, tilted into Kurai's leap, only for Betrayal to rake a thin line down Kurai's thigh.

Kurai twisted his body, tilting it so the force and momentum of Sora's charge sent him flying over Sora, still holding onto the wing, causing the Wielder of Light to lose his forward force and lean backwards, losing some control of his body in the process.

Another keyblade sheared through the sky, the black blade of Way to the Dawn slicing another gash into Sora's cheek as numerous dancing blades wove an impenetrable web around the fighters.

"This game's over. Get the hell outta him." Riku levelled the dark keyblade, the tip aimed squarely for Sora's forehead.

To the surprise of Leo and Riku, Sora started to laugh. Kurai's eyes narrowed, but as he took one step forward, Sora held out his left hand.

'_No closer, Fallen.'_ Sora's right hand, still holding Betrayal, lifted the black dragon blade, placing the edge across his own neck, cutting slightly and drawing blood. _'Or the Wielder dies.'_

Kurai stopped, his white eyes flashing as he surveyed the situation. He knew that if he mustered all his speed, he could possibly knock Betrayal out of Sora's hands, then knock Sora out as well. But it was a risky manoeuvre. Should he strike the wrong area, he could well knock Sora onto the blade itself, and there was no guarantee the dragon couldn't see the tensing of his muscles and predict his movement, thus effectively killing Sora. Also, with Riku and Leo here, one of them might make a move, and startle the dragon into action.

Stalemate. 

* * *

Yeah. Not very good, not very bad. Compared to shiz like Chapter 22, I knew I couldn't duplicate that feat again, the adrenaline pumping through your veins just reading it, but I tried anyways.Probably switching from POV to POV disoriented you guys too. Ah well. Read and review! 


	32. Why?

Phew. Let me tell you, my school does NOT like me. AND I've got MAJOR writer's block. All in all, not a good thing. I can't wait till I finally get the guys to the next world... This has been dragging on too long.

**To my reviewers**  
Shire Folk: I could've worded the way Kairi grew in strength a lot better, but I just couldn't at the same time, if you know what I mean. Yes, I confuse myself too. As for stalemates, I don't think it works in real life the way it does in chess. If either one makes a move, they're dead. It's a hell of a lot more personal and dangerous than just winning or losing a game of chess. xD  
Mariny the one and only: ...? Who are you?  
Midnight's Falling Star: Dangit, I still LOVE your name. Anyways, I think I finally got a bit of a groove back in. We'll see. This chappy should be better than the last... I hope.  
Caged Bird in Demon Arms: Ah. The SoKairi hater? Well, nice to see you're still interested in this despite not liking the pairings. xD  
BlackChaos105: Devil May Cry FTW. XD Loaded Form isn't based on Dante/Nero though. It's me randomly throwing ideas around again, as usual. xD  
BladeXIII: Yeah, I think he does. And here's the next chapter.

I have a new resolution: Every chapter must be at least 10 pages long in Word. This one was 11. Ugh. Ah well. I want to try and get my writing up to speed again, so bear with me, 'kay? 

* * *

Sora opened his eyes, dizzy. "Wha… What happened…?" he muttered. Then a flash of steel on steel drew his attention, and his battle instincts kicked in, forcing him to his feet, Oathkeeper and Oblivion in his hands as a black and white flash lit the area. 

To his surprise, he saw that he was inside his inner world, and there before him, Roxas was fighting with something that looked very familiar…

"Oi, Sora! Don't just stand there, gimme a hand with this guy!" 

Lionheart and Fenrir roared in his Nobody's hands, silver light pouring off them as the black blade of Betrayal smote its own chord of darkness. 

'_So, the master awakes.'_ The mocking voice came from the figure that Roxas was fighting, his antithesis, the dragon inside him. 

Sora's eyes narrowed. "You… I kicked your ass once before, I'll do it again!" He held both keyblades before him, a flash of white light summoning Final Form. 

The dragon grinned. Roxas, trying to take advantage of the situation, lunged at him from behind, the massive wolf keyblade roaring through the air, followed quickly by the lion. But the dragon didn't even react, Betrayal slashing outwards in a black arc to smash into first one, then the other. With a deft flick of its wrist, the dragon sent both Keyblades into the ground, where it stood on them, forcing them deeper. 

Oblivion came shearing through the air, nearly taking off the dragon's head as it casually cocked it to one side, but the follow up blow from Oathkeeper forced it to leap away. With his keyblades free, Roxas twirled them artfully in the air. Settling into a battle stance, both keyblades to one side, yet pointing in at the dragon. 

The dragon threw its head back and laughed, a high mocking sound as it faced the two Wielders, Nobody and Somebody standing side by side._'Isn't it nice to be reinforced when you're weak, Sora!'_

Sora turned his head fractionally so he gcan look at Roxas while keeping an eye on the dragon. "Where were you the last time I had to beat him?" 

Roxas shrugged, his eyes fixed on the dragon. "He ambushed me. Knock me out cold, then hid me somewhere I don't want to talk about." For a moment, there was a slight quaver in the ex-Organization XIII member's voice as he said that. His voice at that moment made Sora think of black holes and prisons, an unbearable weight on him as he struggled to breathe. His eyes narrowed. "The bastard…" he muttered through clenched teeth. 

Suddenly, Roxas shouted out. "Sora!" 

Sora flicked his eyes back to the dragon just in time to catch the slight movement of its wrist, and the black blade shifted up, sending a shockwave of energy at them, which was easily dodged as Roxas and Sora leapt in opposite directions. 

Sora murmured something under his breath, his eyes glowing blue, and he slashed forward with Oathkeeper, releasing a brilliant blue wave of ice at the dragon. Roxas followed suit, a blast of lightning shattering the ice into shards that flew at the black being. 

'_Futile.'_

Hellfire burst forth from the dragon's outstretched hand, disintegrating the ice and lightning as it roared forth, and Sora and Roxas grimaced as the flames poured over them, a quick muttered Relega saving them from the fire that was nevertheless eating through the magical shield. 

Sora closed his eyes to concentrate, then opened them again, their depths burning with silver fire. Throwing his hands out, the power of Final Form infused Oblivion and Oathkeeper, sending them careening out to smash into his own Reflega shield, forcing it and the flames covering it back. As he did, he mouthed a quick incantation, and winds billowed around him, the Aeroga spell keeping the flames at bay as he flew over to Roxas and dispelled the flames with a well-timed Bllizzaga. 

"You alright?" he asked his Nobody, who grinned back. "Never better, Sora." 

The two of them nodded once, then Sora disappeared in a flash of white, keyblades whirling in a maelstrom around him as he launched himself at the dragon. Roxas followed behind him, slower, but with his eyes fixed on the dragon, Fenrir and Lionheart mirroring Oathkeeper and Oblivion as he ran. 

Black star steel met onyx dragon blade as Oblivion and Betrayal clashed, then Oathkeeper smashed into the dragon's back, only for it to glance off an armoured wing that had sprouted from nowhere. Roxas leapt in after Oathkeeper ricocheted off, Fenrir howling an unearthly dirge as Lionheart roared in fury. Both keyblades hit the wing with a screech of metal on metal, and the dragon flung him off, but not before Roxas unleashed a full Firaga concentrated through the keyblades of Cloud and Leon. 

The dragon screamed in pain, but that was all. Just pain. No true damage done to it. But Sora's eyes narrowed as he saw something: The unprotected base of the wing. His eyes flitted to Roxas, then back at the dragon. 

Roxas' trained eye caught the small gesture, and he nodded, just a fraction. Pushing off with his feet, he feinted an attack at the dragon, but the minute his keyblades hit, he used the recoil of the blades to send himself back to where Sora stood, hovering. Sora casually flicked his hand towards the dragon, Oathkeeper flying through the air to cover his retreat. 

"What." Roxas barely moved his mouth as he said it, and it sounded more like a statement than a question, although Sora understood. 

"Base of the wing, unprotected." His silver eyes never left the dragon as Oblivion now followed behind Oathkeeper, the twin keyblades dancing around the dragon and clashing with Betrayal and the dragon's wings. Roxas' eyes focused on where Sora had mentioned, and nodded. "Got it." 

'_What're you two idiots babbling about!'_ Another shockwave roared across the ground, knocking aside Oathkeeper and Oblivion easily as it screamed across the air. 

Roxas leapt forward, Fenrir whirling through the air to slam into the shockwave, disintegrating it instantly as Lionheart followed Fenrir's path, the silver metal creating another wave that mirrored the dragon's. Sora raised his hands, and Oathkeeper and Oblivion returned to them, the power of Final Form coursing through his hands to envelop both keyblades. 

"Arise at my call, power of the divine light, raging flames of righteous indignation, coursing through the daylight sky! Holy!" 

As Sora pointed forward with Oathkeeper, brilliant rays erupted from the tip, similar to the Finis of Ars Arcanum, but more concentrated, brighter, and a lot more powerful. Roxas mirrored his motion, but his incantation was different. 

"Roar the forgotten lion, arise the lone wolf! Ultima's strength and Kingdom's call, hear now the cry of the he who was Nobody! Raging torrents of the abyss swirl, drag your enemies to the compression of death! Black Hole!" 

Darkness fell around the dragon, contrasting sharply with the brilliant rays that scorched the air as an immense force took hold of the dragon, forcing it to stay immobile as it struggled wildly against the force to avoid the rays, the complete absence of light crushing it with its pressure. Unluckily for it, the force, held by Roxas' will, was too strong, and the rays hammered into its body with devastating force. 

The scream of fury was completely devoid of pain, and Sora's eyes narrowed as the dragon finally broke free of the force, smoke rising from its body where the rays had hit, yet completely unharmed. 

"Tch. He's getting stronger, isn't he, Sora?" Roxas muttered. Sora didn't say anything. 

* * *

"So… Your _Majesty_."

"What do you want!" 

"Tsk tsk tsk. So rude. Don't they teach you anything in those courts of yours? How a lady should act?" 

"Do you seriously think I would put on an act for you!" 

"Oh… no. But I can wait. I have time, infinite time." 

"You…!"

"Well, I'm leaving, your Majesty. Hope you like the seating arrangements. I'll leave the movie on." 

"Don't forget to lock the door." 

"Hahaha. Your humour is quite deprecating, your Majesty. I'll see you when I get back." 

"Don't count on it." 

"…"

"Mickey… where are you…?"

* * *

Donald burst into the throne room, jabbering incoherently. Racing down the massive hallway in seconds flat, he flung himself at the foot of the throne, where Mickey was sitting, his eyes closed, a frown on his face. "What is it, Donald?" 

"R-R-R-R… Ransom! Ransom, your Majesty! For the Queen!" Donald managed to get out. Having said his news, he lapsed into silence as he waited for Mickey's reaction. 

A roaring golden wave smashed into the side of the throne room's wall, but Mickey's face remained unchanged, only now he held the Golden Keyblade in his hand. Donald shivered a bit as he saw the steel in Mickey's eyes. "What is it?" 

"You Majesty?" Donald's voice held a question. 

"When's the deadline, and what does he want?" 

Donald bowed his head to the ground, clearly afraid to say. "Yo-Your Majesty… He wants… The kidnapper wants…" His eyes flitted up to the mouse king, before squeezing shut. "Hewantsyourcrownandhead!" 

Mickey cocked his head to one side. "Repeat that. Slowly." 

Donald gulped visibly. "He… He wants your crown. And your head. Your Majesty…" 

Mickey's eyes were hard, no emotion otherwise on his face. "When?" 

"In… In a fortnight, Your Majesty." Donald was looking everywhere but at Mickey. 

"Did he send a method of reply?" 

"Ye-Yes…" 

At that precise moment, a roar echoed through the air, and Mickey leapt into the air, his eyes narrowed as the Golden Keyblade flashed in his hand. Landing silently on the cold marble floor, his eyes slid to Donald, who was gazing at him. 

"Donald…?" 

"Tha-That's… That's his method of reply, Your Majesty…" Donald's voice quavered as he spoke. "A dragon." 

* * *

"D'you think it was a good idea to let the Anti free?" The shadowed person glanced sideways at the slightly shorter figure next to it. The low-pitched voice immediately marked him for a male. 

"I do not know. We can only trust to the hands of Time and Fate." The figure's voice was higher than his, but still slightly low, pleasing to the ear. Female, definitely. 

"Hmph. You'd think we should've more concrete info from Ultima and King before we let him loose, but no…" The man was complaining, a faint note of un-satisfaction in his voice. His silver eyes narrowed as they watched the scene before them, a deadly dance of blades. 

"They are his keyblades. We cannot deny that. We belong to Roxas." The woman looked straight ahead, her eyes following every movement of herself on the other side of the screen that hid them from view, yet was transparent for them. 

"But Roxas IS him, isn't he? I mean, in a sense, all four of us belong to him." The man frowned now, a line creasing his ivory forehead as the very shadows around him writhed slightly. 

"His true blades are Ultima and King. Only he hasn't unlocked King's true power." A different tone appeared in the woman's voice as she spoke, a slight undercurrent of power. 

"Man… Sheesh, I know that, but still. He's only been using me since he got me after beating Riku, and you after keeping his oath with Kairi, and both of us since he actually had us! I mean, he pretty much regards us as his keyblades!" The man abandoned his vigil on the scene before them, turning full on to glare at the woman. 

"We are." The woman remained calm, no emotion on her shadowed face. 

"Dang, you can be pretty cryptic sometimes…" The man shrugged, turning to resume watching the scene. 

* * *

Sora dodged to one side, the black blade of Betrayal slicing off a few strands of hair as he brought Oathkeeper swinging in from one side and Oblivion from the other, trapping the dragon as far as horizontal movement was concerned. A quick push with its tail however, sent the dragon upwards, where it spun and slashed downwards. 

Roxas leapt in, Fenrir's huge bulk smashing into the dragon's wings and sending Betrayal off course as the dragon roared in fury, striking out with one wing to send Roxas plummeting to the ground. 

Sora leapt off the ground, grabbing Roxas as he did so, using his momentum to spin in the air before throwing Roxas up again, where Fenrir and Lionheart clashed with Betrayal. 

A beam of energy shot out from the tip of the dragon's tail, which smashed into Sora full-on. But as it dissipated, so did the silver breastplate that had appeared on Sora's chest at the last moment. 

Fire roared up around Roxas' hands as he flung a Firaga spell from Lionheart. The dragon turned around, a blast of black flame pouring from his mouth that erased the Firaga spell as if it were nothing, continuing to scorch Roxas as he quickly mouthed a Blizzaga spell that barely managed to put them out.

Sora disappeared in a flash of white light, reappearing next to Roxas as the latter slumped on his knees, burns everywhere on his body as he supported himself with Fenrir and Lionheart. "You alright, Roxas?" 

Roxas nodded, sweat running down his face. "Yeah, more or less. Looks like we've got a fight on our hands."

* * *

Kurai made up his mind. He seemed to stand in place, but a ringing blow suddenly knocked Betrayal away from Sora's neck. Before he could recover, Kurai moved, disappearing and reappearing behind Sora, Umou ringing out to slam into his wings, forcing the Weilder forward. Growling, Sora used the momentum to charge at Leo, Betrayal thrusting through the air. 

Kurai grabbed Betrayal with his left hand, his skin unharmed as he pulled Sora forwards into Umou's path, only for the Wielder to duck under it, snarling. Riku followed up, Way to the Dawn shearing the air as it passed by Sora's head dangerously close, the vacuum left behind immobilizing it for a split second so that Leo could hammer his fist in. 

"Wake up, Sora! Don't you DARE lose!" he yelled. "We're getting you outta there if we have to break all the bones in your body!" 

"Damn straight. Bankai." Kurai raised Umou, placing it over his shoulder so it was lying straight down the centre of his back. He released the grip, but the blade remained suspended in mid-air by a powerful force. It pulsated once, then glowed with a brilliant white light, before exploding out to both sides, solidifying into two huge, brilliant white wings. "Tenshi no Tsubasa." 

Leo had reverted out of Bladed Form, Final Chaos raging in his hand as roaring winds and streaks of shadow followed in the wake of the warped keyblade. Ducking a stab from Betrayal, he spun around so fast a vortex dragged Sora into the path of Final Chaos, which tore into one of the wings. 

Riku winced, but then his face hardened as he leapt in. Darkness erupted around Way to the Dawn as he slashed forward, and a thundering shockwave ripped out of it, smashing into Sora's back and sending him sprawling. 

"Sorry, Sora, Kairi. I don't think there's another choice, short of letting the dragon take over." He clicked his fingers, and balls of darkness pelted Sora from all angles, only for them to be repelled by a massive roar as the Wielder threw his head back, his mouth open in a feral snarl. 

"Sora! Snap outta it!" 

Riku spun around at the sound of the voice, a shield springing up before him to take the brunt of any attack Sora might send his way while he was distracted. His eyes widened as he saw Kairi, holding onto a rocky protrusion for support, one hand clutching her side as she panted. She caught his eye and grinned weakly, then her eyes narrowed as she gazed at Sora. 

"Fire." 

Raising a hand, a ball of flame formed and fired in a split second, arcing across the night sky to hammer into Sora's side as he turned to take advantage of Riku's distraction, but it did nothing more than infuriate him. 

Sora tried to take flight, but the gaping hole in his wing failed him, and he roared his fury as he pushed off with his legs, the immense speed of the dragon closing the distance between him and Kairi in an instant.

* * *

"Oi! Sora!" Roxas shouted as he dodged another blow by the dragon. "Kairi!" 

Sora's eyes widened as he heard Roxas, and he waved his hand at the ceiling of his inner world, causing both Oathkeeper to fly forward and connect with Betrayal and a small screen to morph out of the white ceiling. Absently throwing his left hand forward so Oblivion joined Oathkeeper, he growled as he saw the image of Kairi grow larger and larger as the dragon lunged. 

"Bankai!" 

Final Form disappeared in a silver flash that quickly gave way to the white of Bankai, and Oathkeeper and Oblivion returned to his armour encased arms as he leapt forward. 

"Sora, hang on!" Roxas shouted. "Hastega!"

Speed beyond comprehension almost teleported Sora behind the dragon, striking out with both keyblades as energy waves rippled through the air. Roxas followed straight after, smashing Fenrir into the ground and striking the massive keyblade with Lionheart. The resulting shockwave crashed across the ground, ripping the white tiles apart as it sandwiched the dragon between itself and Sora's waves. 

The dragon roared, and this time they could catch the shrill note of pain. As the smoke cleared from the impact, the two fighters could clearly see the huge gash across the dragon's shoulder, dripping black blood that scorched the ground on contact. 

"Let's end this." 

"Yeah." 

Roxas grinned. Holding Fenrir and Lionheart high, energy started to pool around him, before suddenly exploding upwards. "Time to play. Organization XIII." 

Black robes swirled around the Nobody, a dark hood hiding his face from view, leaving only a sardonic grin visible under the shadow. Draped in his familiar Organization XIII robes, Roxas threw his hands down, Fenrir and Lionheart howling and roaring as the Wolf and the Lion glowed with a bright light. 

Slashing both keyblades across the ground in one quick motion, the tiles exploded with an immense force that had Sora shying away, but Roxas remained in place, his robes flapping in the remaining draft. The grin widened. "Let's go." 

"Cleaving Moon!"

"Lion's Howl!" 

Sora slashed in an 'X' formation before him, white and black energy forming an eclipse as they thundered towards the dragon. Roxas held Lionheart before him, pointing straight at the dragon as he held Fenrir loosely at rest at his side. A pulse of energy escaped from the keyblade, then a huge shockwave loosed itself, grabbing Sora's energy beams and twisting them inside itself, forming a drill that sliced through the air. 

The dragon roared, immense darkness falling around the area he stood in as it raised Betrayal in the air, making no move to escape. As the thundering forces charged towards it, it slashed down, and the black dragon blade gathered the surrounding darkness, trailing it behind it as it released it in a massive wave of black energy that made contact with the spinning drill and shockwave. 

* * *

Kairi raised a hand reflexively as Sora appeared before her suddenly. She couldn't believe this was Sora, who was so kind, who always tried to help her, even if it cost him his life, who had given her his heart… and only recently broken hers. Her cerulean eyes burnt crimson, and the hand in front of her blazed. 

"Retribution!" 

A red flash lit the area as she disappeared, reappearing behind Sora as Betrayal sheared the air right where she was standing before. She let out an involuntary gasp, then Oathgiver and Eternity were in her hands as Betrayal rang off them. 

The night skies darkened, skyfire dancing through the clouds and lighting up the islands as the booming roar of thunder echoed across the seas. A pillar of flame descended, smashing down onto Sora as he brought Betrayal up in reflex, a wave of black trying to hold up the fires, but failing as the pillar crashed onto Sora, his scream echoing like the thunder. 

Kairi turned away, her eyes shut tight, tears brimming as she tried to block out Sora's screaming. Then it was muffled as Riku hugged her close. "Kairi, are you sure you should be up here?"

Kairi nodded fiercely. "Yes. I need to be here. For Sora's sake, if not for myself." 

Riku sighed. "Don't worry. We'll get him back. You watch." 

"Yeah." Kurai was next to them in an instant. "You worry 'bout yourself. We'll get Sora back. Hope you don't mind him with a few bruises, Kairi." His white angelic wings folded softly around the three of them, Leo covering them from the outside as he spoke words of comfort. Then they opened again, and Riku was holding Kairi asleep in his arms, Oathgiver, Eternity and Way to the Dawn floating around them. Out of nowhere, Oathkeeper and Oblivion appeared to join them, and together, they floated in a circle around the two Wielders of Love and Dawn. 

"Kurai, tag out." Riku grinned at the tall angel, who grinned back. "Gotcha." 

A black flash lit the clearing, and Riku disappeared, along with Kairi and the keyblades. Kurai smiled softly to himself, then turned to Sora, who was getting up slowly, his body ravaged with burns. "Y'know, you're lucky, scaly. If she was smart enough to keep using low to mid tier spells instead of busting out the big ones when she's that tired, you'd be a LOT worse off." 

Leo, next to him, grimaced. "You and your comments, Kurai." He cocked his head to one side, Final Chaos humming slightly in his hand. "So… how exactly are we gonna get the dragon outta him?" 

Kurai's face grew serious. "I have NO idea. Best we can hope for at the moment is to keep beating up on him and hope he doesn't kill Sora before that." 

"Y'know, I kinda expected a better answer from ya, Kurai." Leo raised his hands, shaking his head. At that moment, Sora leapt forward again, only for Leo to drop fluidly to the ground, spinning gracefully, his foot ringing out to slam into Sora's jaw. The impact was so great it sent Sora flying upwards, where Leo suddenly appeared. "Bladed Form." 

Blades and swords of all types, shapes and sizes lined the sky, and Leo flew from one to the other, shredded blades of wind ripping through Sora's body as he passed. Finally, he appeared above Sora, his foot raised high as he delivered an axe kick down onto the Wielder's head, sending him smashing into the ground with enough force to shake the mountain, landing deftly and silently next to the small crater that formed. 

Kurai laughed. "Poor Lee. First Sasuke ripped off his move, then Naruto, then me, now you. Who gave you the idea I wonder?" 

Leo grinned back. "You forgot that he ripped it off Gai in the first place." 

Kurai shrugged. "He didn't _rip it off_, he _learnt it_."

"Same diff."

* * *

"You're making a habit of passing out a lot, Kairi. It ain't exactly the smartest idea to unleash such powerful spells one after another. Sure, it ends things fast, but it kills you too." Oathgiver slowly laid Kairi on a bed that had literally grew up from the ground of her inner world, gently pulling the covers up. Eternity stood on the other side of the bed, stroking Kairi's forehead with the barest of touches. 

"Sora… Sora!" Kairi suddenly threw her hand out, which Oathgiver dodged just in time. She groped in thin air, trying in vain to grasp something seemingly just out of reach, before finally clasping into a fist, then slumping down slowly to lie at her side. A single glistening tear slid down the side of her face, and her body, which had been thrashing around, stilled. "Sora…" 

Eternity's eyes flitted to Oathgiver, and the armoured keyblade spirit could see the slight tears inside. "She's just dreaming, Eternity. Just dreaming." He reached out a hand to hold Kairi's shoulder, hesitated, then withdrew it, shaking his head. 

Eternity sighed. "This is hurting our power as well; you know that, don't you?" 

Oathgiver nodded. "Yeah. That sucks. But I don't think we have a choice. Sora chose this for Kairi. We can only hope that Kurai can beat some sense into him." 

Eternity sat at the edge of the bed. "Namine, why don't you come out?" she called softly. Looking at Oathgiver, who nodded, she added, "We have some things we'd like to ask you." 

A slight shimmer enveloped Kairi's body, and the Nobody stepped out shyly. "Oathgiver, Eternity." Turning to each, she bowed in turn. 

"Namine, how's Kairi's head?" asked Oathgiver. "And no, I don't mean headaches." He grinned on that last one. 

Namine smiled slightly at the small joke, but then her brow furrowed. "It's… chaotic, inside. Kairi has lived a long time believing that what Sora feels towards her is nothing more than deep friendship, the kind he shares with Riku. The revelation during the attainment of her Bankai shook her to the core, but she was happy. She loves Sora as well, and she only noticed it during her Bankai attainment. She was happy, but then Sora shattered her dreams. Now, the only word floating inside that chaotic abyss is… Why?" 

A single sob escaped her as she spoke, feeling her Somebody's sorrow as her own. "Why would Sora do that? After going through all that to save her, after giving his heart to her, he loves her, we all know it. Why…?" 

"I can only assume that Sora has his reasons." Eternity's face was devoid of emotion, calm as the sea on a windless night. "Didn't you hear him? He doesn't want Kairi to be hurt. I don't know what he's thinking, but I assume he plans to leave Kairi behind and head off with Riku to get the Queen back." 

Oathgiver's fist slammed into the ground. "Idiot. Typical Sora. Always thinking of others to the point of making them sad or angry." 

Eternity nodded. "Everyone wants the one they love to be safe from harm. Yet it is hardest for the person left behind." 

Namine nodded, once. "I… I don't want… R-Roxas to be fighting, but he has to." She bowed her head slightly forward, pale blonde hair coming forward to hide her blushing face. 

Oathgiver smiled. He lifted Namine's chin with a gentle finger, his aqua eyes blazing into her pale icy ones, just like Roxas had done when they'd first met. Roxas and Sora were so alike that for a moment, her eyes wavered, and Roxas was smiling at her. Then the image faded, and she shook her head to clear her mind, so slightly that few people could have caught her movement. "D… Don't do that…" she muttered shyly. 

Oathgiver laughed. "If you want." Eternity just smiled.

* * *

Sora got to his feet shakily, only to find a black blade at his neck before he was even half up. 

"Game over, Sora." The dragon grinned at him as Roxas fell back onto the ground after getting to his feet, too weak to stay on his feet after releasing the huge burst of energy. It started laughing, louder and louder. 

* * *

Ouch... Well, hope you guys liked that. Read and review, please! 


	33. A New Power

Well, for some reason, I managed to get a good deal done these past few days. Not to say I don't have homework from school, but I don't like doing it. xD Yeah.

**To my reviewers  
**BladeXIII: Thanks for the compliment! The dragon explains why he's so good in this chapter.  
Shire Folk: HAS he lost? Or is it something else? Who knows...?  
Caged Bird in Demon Arms: I meant SoKairi. Sora Kairi. xD Thanks for the compliment though.  
Taenaeia: Thanks!  
BlackChaos105: Hope you're liking Leo so far. He's in minor roles at the moment, but I'll probably be doing stuff with him you'd love.  
RoxasTheOther: No it wasn't. xDDDDDDDDDD  
Midnight's Falling Star: Oh, they aren't dead. Where there's life, there's hope. Isn't that right, Ariel? xD Don't worry, although I don't plan, I still have a vague idea of where this is all going. As for your name, I still like it. xD  
Scorch406: Wow, you really sped through my fic. You were only on like... 23 before, weren't you? xD Thanks! Thanks for the compliment there.

Well, sorry my updates have been sporadic as of late. School, y'know. Hope you guys won't desert. On with the story!  

* * *

"Getsuga Tenshou."

A ripping white blast tore through the air, sending the dragon flying as it took him by surprise. _'What the…?!_'

Through the smoke, Sora saw a familiar figure, one that he had thought he wouldn't see again. "Ichigo!"

"Yo. I heard Kurai call, so I came here ASAP." The tall orange-haired Captain grinned at him. Then his eyes narrowed. "I wonder if you guys aren't a lot more like us than we thought…? Having your own Hollow… like me…"

Betrayal thrust at lightning speed through the air, but Ichigo blocked it easily without even thinking about it, the massive zanpakutou he held catching the tip of the dragon blade and a huge burst of his reiatsu forcing it back.

"How…?" Sora muttered, his eyes starting to close again as his fatigue caught up with him.

Ichigo shrugged. "This is Kurai we're talking about. He don't give a damn 'bout the rules. Now just hang tight. I'll finish this. Bakudou no Hachijyuu Ichi, Dankuu."

A rectangular piece of solid air appeared before Sora, angled so that its edges touched the walls, effectively sealing Roxas and Sora off from the fight. A small grin appeared on Ichigo's face. "Now let's see if you're really as strong as Kurai says. It's been a while since I last fought someone big, Vasto Lorde not counting."

The dragon roared and pounced, Betrayal coming in from one side as its wings closed in from the other, trapping Ichigo in the middle. The shinigami leapt backwards, slashing down as he did so, then reversing the blade and slashing upwards the minute Zangetsu touched the ground. "Getsuga Ten-Chishou!"

The familiar wave of white energy erupted outwards, followed by a brownish blast that had pieces of rock in it as the wave undulated into a spinning blast, ripping across the now severely mutilated earth to smash into the dragon. It was the last thing Sora saw before he faded into Oblivion.

* * *

"When the hell did Ichigo get here?!" Leo shouted at Kurai as Sora slumped unconscious before them. "How the hell d'you manage to plan everything?!" But the shout held more amusement than actual anger.

Kurai raised a hand in a placating motion, although it was probably in vain. "Now now, calm down. This isn't the time to worry 'bout this. Hollows will be attracted to Ichigo's reiatsu even after the Heartless and Nobodies have fled."

Leo nodded. "And you?"

Kurai shrugged. "I think I'll go check out Radiant Garden. Who knows if an attack's happened while we were gone."

Leo nodded. "Right. I'm off." He vanished in a swirl of black. Kurai thought for a while, then grinned. "I lied…" he murmured under his breath. He vanished as well, but not to where he had said he would be going.

* * *

"Kurai!" Mickey cried out as he leapt down from the throne, running to the tall angel.

"Hey Mick. It's been a while, hasn't it?" The Dragonlord laughed as the mouse king leapt up and grabbed him in a hug. "Woah there, are kings supposed to act like that?"

Mickey smiled, but then it disappeared. "I take it you know? About Minnie I mean." The King's brow furrowed as he said the name of his Queen.

Kurai nodded. "Yeah. I'm taking Sora and the rest of 'em to get her back. But first, I need to get him pumped up."

Mickey raised one eyebrow. "Why? He's powerful enough in his own right. Why do you need to tra-" His eyes widened. "Is it really that bad…?"

Kurai nodded, a grim smile on his face. "Yeah. It's a lot worse than I thought."

"Ansem…? Or Xenahort?" Mickey asked.

Kurai shook his head this time. "Neither. An ancient force, far more powerful than them. It's awakening all the forces at once, both light and dark, good and evil. Somehow, it's co-ordinating attacks from all sides at once. Konohagure is in chaos, and we just finished up a mess in Soul Society. Guze no Tomogara are running wild, and somehow, Shishio has returned as a vampire. It's far too co-ordinated for my liking. And attacks are occurring on Radiant Garden so frequently I've had to dispatch five dragons to keep constant watch on it, as well as a backup force of another ten to scout the surrounding countryside. Yet somehow, I never manage to catch them coming in. They're always already there, walking towards Radiant Garden, or should we say marching. My dragons usually manage to deal with them before they come within sight of the Garden, and the few stragglers are easily dealt with by Squall. Oh, Cloud left again. Tifa's devastated."

He shook his head. "It's like nothing I've ever seen before, and mind you, I've seen a lot. You know that. Heartless and Nobodies working together, and even Lucia led an attack on Radiant garden. You know he hates working under anyone, yet someone managed to cow him despite the power of the Mother Sinclair. If I can only catch them morphing in, then I can tell how to anticipate them, but…"

The two old friends had been walking back to the throne as Kurai spoke, and Mickey leapt up onto the arm of the throne, gesturing for Kurai to sit on it, which he absently did. Then he came to his senses and leapt out of it as though he had just got his bottom burnt. "Wha…? Hey Mick, you're the King, not me!"

Mickey shrugged. "You're more than fit to be King. Only reason I got the top job was because you declined it." He patted the seat. "Go on, sit."

Kurai shook his head vehemently. "Nup. No can do, Your Majesty."

Mickey frowned at the formal title, then sighed. "Then no one sits there. Around you, we're equals."

Kurai laughed. "Right. If you say so." He glanced sideways at the mouse king as they sat together at the top of the short stairs leading from the hall to the throne proper. "I've found where they're holding her."

Mickey's face didn't change, except for a slight tightening around his eyes. "Where?" His tone was casual.

"The Wyvern's Nest."

Mickey leapt to his feet, his eyes wide in horror. "No… Not there!"

Kurai's face remained stony as he nodded. "Yes, she's there. From what I could see before the wyverns could smell me, she's being kept in a good cell."

"A cell in a king's bedroom is still a cell!" Mickey spat. "No matter how well she gets treated, she's still a prisoner. And I WILL get her out of there."

Kurai placed a hang on the King's shoulder, calm-ness radiating from the touch to calm Mickey down. "Yes you will. But not directly. You cannot leave the castle, not now when there's no one to take over for you. Me and the guys will storm it. When the time comes."

Mickey sat down, but he was not convinced. "The kidnapper wants my crown, and my head." He said matter-of-factly. "At the moment, I have around thirteen and a half days." His voice softened to a whisper. "Or Minnie dies."

Kurai remained looking straight ahead to avoid having to see Mickey's tears. "How did he send the message?"

"A wyvern. Donald thought it was a dragon. I guess I should've known by then where she was being held, right?" He smiled, a self deprecating smile. "I have been too comfortable, Kurai. As King, I have almost every wish I want granted. The only hard spots I've had in my life were when I was journeying with you, centuries back, and during Ansem and Xenahort's rule. Everything else has been too easy. I take too many things for granted. And now…" He waved his hand behind him, indicating the empty throne next to his where Minnie would have sat.

Kurai sighed. "You remind me of me after the dragon killed Ruin and Grond killed Kirin. C'mon. Snap outta it. 'Least you know she's still alive."

Mickey looked up at his friend, and his face set hard again. "You're right. I'm the King. I can't let my people see me like this." He wiped a hand across his eyes fiercely, and stood. With a golden flash, the Gold Keyblade was in his hand again, and he turned to Kurai. "But whether you like it or not, I'm going to save my Queen. When the time comes. Is that clear?"

Kurai smiled softly. "Crystal clear, Your Majesty."

* * *

Leo frowned as he leapt from tree to tree, black flashes darkening the surrounding areas as he leapt over chasms and rivers most people could not even fathom. "I thought Kurai said there'd be Hollows all over… Where the heck are they?"

He leapt up onto another tree, using the branches to springboard himself to another one close by. Spinning around, he sent out a probing pulse of darkness, but found nothing. Even though the Captain was still inside Sora's inner world, Leo could feel his reiatsu as clear as if he was standing right next to him.

"Heh, even after so long, he still hasn't learnt to control his darn reiatsu completely." Leo grinned as he spoke; pushing off from the tree he stood, forming a block of darkness in the air as he landed deftly upon it, spinning around in a quick 360 to take in his surroundings. His eyes narrowed. "Still nothing… This is strange…" He spun around once more, for good measure, but turned up nothing.

"I don't like it."

* * *

Ichigo moved his head to one side casually, Betrayal piercing the air right next to it, but before the dragon could swing the blade to cut his head off, Ichigo struck, Zangetsu's mighty blade cleaving forward to smote the air as the dragon leapt backwards to avoid the blow, flames pouring out of its mouth as it did so.

Ichigo disappeared; shunpo-ing behind the dragon as he lifted Zangetsu so it rested on his shoulder, then rolled his arm, using the momentum to increase the power of his slash as he slung the blade down. The dragon spun around, Betrayal's slim form hiding its strength as it took the cleaver full on, without even buckling. Ichigo's grin widened.

"Getsuga Tenshou."

The power behind the blast was incredible at point-blank range, the wave smashing straight into the dragon the minute it was released, almost instantly traversing the minute gap from blade to chest. With a roar of pain, the dragon was sent backwards, skidding across the floor, throwing white tiles and brown earth as it went. Stabbing Betrayal in the ground slowed it down somewhat, but it still continued skidding for another meter before stopping.

"Heh." Ichigo effortlessly hefted Zangetsu onto his shoulder, grinning. "Is that all?" He glanced sideways at Sora, who had fallen unconscious, and Roxas, who was leaning against the wall and grinning at him. "I would've thought that Sora's Hollow would be stro-"

'_Bankai.'_

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Ho…?"

Flames poured out all around the dragon, the black flames of the abyss as the black dragon blade disappeared in a burst of darkness, reforming into a massive blade of pure energy that extended out of the dragon's left arm, even longer than it had been in Kurai's Fallen Form back in Soul Society, even wider than Cloud's huge First Tsurugi, a black plasma blade that rose high over the dragon's head as it leaned forward slightly on bent knees, raising its left arm upwards. A feral grin twisted its mouth as it leered at Ichigo.

Ichigo shrugged Zangetsu down from his shoulder. "Finally. Looks like it's Go time." He held Zangetsu straight before him, pointing directly at the dragon, his reiatsu billowing around him as he took hold of his right arm with his left hand. Zangetsu's single trailing bandage caught the reiatsu and travelled with it, curling around Ichigo's right arm and shoulder to trail out behind him. "Bankai."

A blast of whitish blue energy roared out from the over-sized cleaver, smashing into the dragon's new reaver as it brought it down to shield itself. A tornado tore the remaining tiles from the now vanquished floor, shielding Ichigo from view, then the clinking of broken chains could be heard as the wind and dust cleared.

"Tensa Zangetsu."

The familiar black robes wrapped tightly around his chest and midriff, flaring outwards past the waist, and the now thing and long blade of the nodachi in his hand darkened the very hue of the air around it. He disappeared, reappearing behind the dragon, slashing forwards as Tensa Zangetsu trailed darkness behind it, the wave smashing into the back of the dragon. "Kuroi Getsuga Tenshou."

The dragon didn't even budge, the huge weight of its Bankai sinking it firmly into the ground as it twisted its torso, bringing the giant blade whirling across the air at Ichigo. As it passed, it smashed the barrier Ichigo had erected around Sora and Roxas, but the dragon took no notice of them, a new target fixed in its mind.

* * *

Roxas crawled over to Sora, pulling him to the wall he had been resting against. "Dammit…" he murmured as his fingers fumbled through some motions. "Aero…!"

Winds contorted around the two of them as they lay propped by the wall, weak but sufficient enough to blow aside any rogue debris from the duel that was raging on opposite them. Roxas slumped down next to Sora, still draped in his Organization XIII robes. "Heh… That's the best I could do. Sorry, Sora…" His eyes returned to where Ichigo was dancing around the dragon, whose infuriated roars were filling the room. "Don't lose, Ichigo. You need to win."

* * *

Ichigo laughed out loud as he sped all around the dragon, his speed creating multiple copies of himself as every now and again, he leapt in to unleash another Kuroi Getsuga Tenshou at the dragon. "Heh, by going into that Bankai, you pretty much gave me a free ticket to win." He shunpo-ed above the dragon, releasing numerous Kuroi Getsuga Tenshou's straight downwards at the dragon, before vanishing and resuming his speeding circle around the dragon, leaping up or ducking as the dragon swung its massive reaver at him.

But inside, he was worried. 'I'm barely scratching him… This'll take years before he goes down. And I don't have that time.' He frowned slightly as he ducked low, stabbing Tensa Zangetsu into the ground, then ripping it straight out. "Getsuga Chishou!"

A wave of energy roared across the ground, a dark brown hue instead of its normal black, tearing chunks of the bare earth as it did. The dragon turned in place, bringing its huge reaver to bear as it clove the ground in two, breaking the wave as it did.

Ichigo's eyes followed the movement of the blade, and he appeared on top of it as it lay on the ground, in the moment just before the dragon heaved it up. He winced as his feet made contact with the reaver, leaping off it and disappearing, reappearing not far from the dragon, opposite Sora and Roxas in an attempt to draw its attention to him. 'Hmm... energy blade. Can't even touch it without burning. This will take some power.'

He raised a hand, two fingers pointing casually up. Black shreds of energy formed at the tip of his fingers, and he twisted his hand inwards, his palm facing towards him as he raised the rest of his fingers. The black energy pooled before his palm, whitening slowly, then he swiped his hand onto his face, curling his fingers until it seemed like he was trying to gouge his left eye out. The white energy followed his movement, solidifying into a solid material. The mask of the Vizard.

His hazel eyes turned gold as immeasurable power filled him, Tensa Zangetsu howling for blood in his hand. "Sorry, you'll only get to see it for one instant." His voice carried clearly over to the dragon, whose yellow eyes narrowed.

Spreading its now massive wings, the dragon flapped them once, dark streaks of energy arcing across the air to fly at Ichigo. But suddenly, they all disappeared, a black silhouette flitting among them. Yet Ichigo hadn't moved at all, slowly lowering Tensa Zangetsu. Then the blade was pointed straight at the dragon.

Slash wounds appeared on the dragon's body, trailing black reiatsu behind them, tearing through draconic skin and phantom blade. Ichigo remained motionless, but still more and more wounds appeared on the dragon's body, rocking him from side to side as his screams of pain seared the air.

As the dragon's knee hit the ground, Ichigo waved his hand across his face, the mask dissipating into black shreds as he did. "I told you it would only be for an instant." His eyes narrowed again as he raised Tensa Zangetsu into the air. "Getsuga Tenshou."

Another burst of energy ripped through thin air to smash into the dragon, who roared in pain. It struggled back onto its feet, the reaver dissipating back into the thin black dragon blade. _'You... Your power... I WANT IT!'_

Ichigo's eyes widened as the dragon disappeared, reappearing behind him in an instant as pure reflexes were all that helped him from getting himself beheaded by a swinging black blade. He spun around, Tensa Zangetsu whipping behind him, but the dragon had already appeared before him, its knee hammering into the Ichigo's stomach, sending him flying backwards. Even as he watched, the dragon's wounds healed over, until it was like the attack of his Vizard mask hadn't done anything. "What the hell?!" he muttered.

A sick smile appeared in the middle of the darkness that made up the dragon, under the yellow orbs that were its eyes. _'Give me your power!'_ It leapt at him again.

Black reiatsu whirled around the room, blasting outwards with Ichigo at the centre as Tensa Zangetsu strained against Betrayal, the Vizard mask back on Ichigo's face, hiding his gritted teeth as he struggled against the dragon's new strength.

"What the hell are you?!" he spat in the dragon's face, finally managing to push it away. The dragon twisted in mid-air, righting itself, and a flap of its wings sent it hurtling towards Ichigo again. _'None of your business!'_ it laughed.

Ichigo vanished just as Betrayal stabbed deep into the ground where he had been moments ago, the impact creating a massive crater that pushed deep into the naked earth. Reappearing behind the dragon, his speed enhanced by the Vizard mask, he struck once, twice, three times, the third time releasing a point-blank Getsuga Tenshou at the black being before disappearing, reappearing some distance away to witness the result of his attack.

"No... way..." he muttered.

The dragon leered sickly at him, its body free from any wounds. _'What's the matter...? Lost your edge already...? Ha! Still, you have power. Give it to me!'_

Ichigo clenched his teeth, unseen behind his mask. "If you want it..." He settled into his battle stance, left hand gripping his right hand as black reiatsu started to pool around him and Tensa Zangetsu. "Come get it."

The dragon roared, Betrayal carving black arcs into the air as it charged at Ichigo, swinging Betrayal around madly.

* * *

"This is getting ridiculous. I'm glad there're so few Hollows, but where did they all go?!" Leo frowned as Final Chaos ripped through another Hollow, the last of only three he had found. He spun around, hoping there were more waiting to ambush him, but he was disappointed. The sky and land behind him was as empty as ever.

Then he felt it. An unnatural energy, a strange reiatsu signature that he had no trouble recognizing. His eyes grew round. "Arrancar..."

Leaping high into the air, he projected a single block of hovering darkness, standing on it and gazing down at the Destiny Islands. His eyes narrowed as he spotted five white-clad shapes moving with frightening speed to enclose where he and Kurai had left Sora, hidden under a blanket of interwoven darkness and light. "Damn!"

Leaping off it, wings of black sprout from his back, and he sped off in their direction. Closing his eyes, he sent a message in his mind to Kurai.

'Kurai! Hurry! Arrancar!'

* * *

Kurai stood up suddenly, his eyes narrowed.

"What is it, Kurai?" Mickey asked. Experience told him that Kurai would have to leave, and soon, if the news was enough to cause the usually genial man to look serious.

"Arrancar. In the Destiny Islands. Bet you anything Aizen's on the move again." Kurai answered steadily, turning to look at the King. "I take my leave, Mick." He waved a hand before him, a rift opening instantly. Feeling a movement at his side, he looked down in surprise. "Mick..." he started warningly.

"Don't you _dare_ try and dissuade me, Kurai. I'm coming with you. Anyway, with your rifts, I can get back here before Donald or Goofy can even notice my disappearance." The miniature King glared up at his old friend, daring him to disagree.

Kurai grinned. "Fine." He thought for a moment, then clicked his fingers. Mickey's shadow detached itself from Mickey's feet, before enlarging and solidifying, as well as taking on a three dimensional shape. Kurai muttered a few choice words, and colour flooded through the shadow, becoming an exact double of Mickey. "There we go. Let's go, Mick."

Mickey grinned as he watched his double walk to the throne and sit down, a frown etched on its face as it gazed at Minnie's throne. "Right."

Together, the two old friends walked through the rift, which sealed itself immediately. After they left, the double continued to gaze at Minnie's empty throne, a small tear falling down its face.

* * *

Ichigo panted heavily behind his mask, his golden eyes staring out at the dragon. He had attacked the dragon with enough force to destroy five Menos Grande's in a single blow, and the dragon had taken it, blood spurting out everywhere. But in a matter of seconds, the wound was gone as if it had never happened.

"Ceh." He gritted through his teeth. "Ya little bastard." He levelled Tensa Zangetsu before him, the black blade distorting the air around it. "Higa Getsuzan!"

Slashing before him, black streaks of energy shot out of Tensa Zangetsu, forming miniature Getsuga Tenshou's, but far more numerous than usual. Speeding towards the dragon, they grew larger as they did. With a flash of movement, Ichigo appearing above them, flying towards the dragon. Swinging Tensa Zangetsu in lightning fast movements, accompanying Getsuga Tenshou's boosted their power, then he flashed over to the dragon, who leered at him.

'_Is that all?'_

Betrayal flashed once, and the wisps of energy disappeared. Ichigo's eyes widened, but he had no time to reflect on it; spinning around, Tensa Zangetsu and Betrayal locked blades, then the dragon pulled away, causing Ichigo to lose his balance for a moment. In that split second, the dragon lunged, and Ichigo rolled away, blood dripping from a small gash along his arm.

The dragon laughed. _'Why am I suddenly so strong, that even your Vizard mask can't affect me? Fool! I live in Sora's mind, I have witnessed your battle in Soul Society. I know your fighting style, I know your powers. And best of all...'_ The dragon's leer grew wider. _'The more negative thoughts in Sora's mind, the stronger I become. And right now... he's in the middle of a _nightmare

Ichigo's eyes widened. "What...?"

The dragon lifted Betrayal slowly, then stabbed it into the ground. A huge pillar of darkness crashed upwards from the point where Betrayal touched the ground, silhouetting the dragon in a black shadow where its yellow eyes shone eerily.

'My_ nightmare.'_ The dragon hissed, its yellow eyes flashing.

"That's it. You're officially passed into the realm of nuts." Ichigo frowned as he spun Tensa Zangetsu around, his Vizard mask melting away as he passed his hand across his face. "Zangetsu-ossan, looks like I'll have to use it here. Can't let Kurai down."

He held Tensa Zangetsu before him, point down, then twisted his wrist, bringing the black blade flicking upwards as he released it, then grasped it again a split second later, holding it upside down as he brought the point back to his ear.

* * *

Roxas and Sora finally stirred, still protected by the weak remnants of the Aero spell Roxas had casted earlier.

"Sora. And the other guy. You two alright?" Ichigo called out over to them, his black reiatsu flaring like a wild animal around him. "Sorry, didn't catch your name." He grinned. "I'm gonna finish this with all I've got. Least I can do for Kurai. Hang tight, I'll try and keep my reiatsu under control, but it might be a little hard to breathe."

Out of nowhere, a pale hand appeared on Ichigo's shoulder, gripping it reassuringly. "Ichigo. Are you sure?" The voice was the same voice they had heard earlier, full of power, echoing much like Roxas' did when Sora was speaking to him in his mind. "It's dangerous..."

Ichigo's grin widened. "Yeah, 'course I'm sure, Zangetsu-ossan. You ready for it?"

The arm to the hand appeared, morphing out of the black reiatsu that thundered around Ichigo, forming the shape of a man that looked to be in his late thirties or early forties, with dark brown straggly hair and stubble on his chin, wearing a black pair of sunglasses, dressed in what looked like Ichigo's Bankai robes, his hand gripping Ichigo's shoulder reassuringly. "If you want to, Ichigo, then I will help you. Any power. As long as it drives the rain away."

"Good. Take hold of yourself, Zangetsu-ossan."

"Kanzen Bankai."

* * *

The burst of reiatsu that filled the room sent even the dragon back a few paces, and Sora and Roxas found themselves flattened against the wall. Sora struggled to open his eyes, but could see nothing except billowing black.

In his mind, he could only think of one thing, 'Kanzen... Bankai...?' Then he closed his eyes as he remembered again the nightmare he had been thrown into. Roxas' words came to his mind again.

_"He ambushed me. Knock me out cold, then hid me somewhere I don't want to talk about."_

Sora understood why he didn't want to talk about it. It was the stuff of hell, of the abyss beyond space. Beyond sanity.

* * *

So yeah. Didn't Kurai say that Bankai is the strongest thing in Soul Society? What's this Kanzen Bankai thing? Well... I don't know yet actually. O.O We'll see, won't we? xD Read and review!


	34. Dawn's Fury

No, I ain't dead yet, believe it or not. But I dislocated my shoulder again, and typing one-handed isn't fun. Every now and again, when I feel willing to face the pain, I take it out and type again (Wow, that rhymed).

**To my reviewers:  
**Taeniaea: Thanks!  
Shire Folk: You'll see... xD  
BladeXIII: In a way, it is. But ultimately, an inner dragon is very different from a Hollow. Oh, and call me Kirin. Or kirinelf. **K**irinelf makes me wanna throw up. xD  
TheUnnaturalDisater: I'm serious! That's NOTHING yet. :Grins: As for the dragon, he's meant to be insanely hard to beat.  
Scorch406: Thanks for reading then. xD Sora's nightmare is... Nothing. That is, literally nothing. I'll elaborate after this.  
Midnight's Falling Star: Many of us make it up as we go along. I don't even care much if the readers don't like the way it's going at first, sooner or later, the flow will catch them and they'll get caught up. xD At least... I hope they do. O.O Hope ya haven't killed yourself yet. xD And I like my name. xD You can keep yours.  
SauronBane: Hope this lives up to your expectations. Two very familiar groups will be turning up. Have fun imagining. :Grins:  
Pseudo-daemonum: I've already responded to your review personally. I'll copy and paste the info I gave you, so others can understand too.  
RockCityRoadStar: Don't worry 'bout it. :Smiles: I'm just glad you read it. XD  
BlackChaos105: Thanks!  
Caged Bird in Demon Arms: Yet somehow I managed to get them together just fine. :Laughs: Thanks for reading!  
MissShenSizzle10: I'ma goin', I'ma goin'! :Laughs: Yo, new reviewer. Glad you're liking this.

Now I'm gonna explain a few things. First point, Sora's nightmare. Remember what Roxas said?

Roxas shrugged, his eyes fixed on the dragon. "He ambushed me. Knock me out cold, then hid me somewhere I don't want to talk about." For a moment, there was a slight quaver in the ex-Organization XIII member's voice as he said that. His voice at that moment made Sora think of black holes and prisons, an unbearable weight on him as he struggled to breathe. His eyes narrowed. "The bastard…" he muttered through clenched teeth.

That was what Sora's been through. Trapped in his own mind. Imagine a place. Empty, black, yet full, oppressive. It's not a void, where you cannot see, cannot hear, cannot feel. Here, you can see; but you see nothing. You can hear, but you hear silence. You can feel something touching you, but you cannot touch them in return. You listen, you see, you try and touch, yet you cannot sense anything. Yet somehow, you know that there's something to be seen, something to be heard, something to be felt. It's enough to drive anyone mad.

Pseudo-daemonum, here's your question: If powers, such as drive forms can only be used in the dimension or universe or whatever it was acquired in, shouldn't bankai be limited to one universe-dimension...whatever?

My take: Drive Forms act not only on internal power, but on external power. Notice he cannot use them when his body changes physical form, such as in Atlantica and in the Pride Lands, and when his feet aren't in contact with the earth, like in Neverland. Donald and Goofy are like supplements to his inner resolve, he doesn't need them in my fic since by beating Ansem and Xemnas, he gains both knowledge and courage enough to go into any of his Forms without needing someone to 'pass the baton', so to speak.

Also, his Drive Forms rely on the dimensional energy given off by what I shall call the First Dimension, Sora's Dimension and the dimension the games take place in. Leaving that dimension to go to the dimension I use in my fic is akin to leaving Disneyland and stepping into modern Akihabara, like leaving Disney movies and going into Japanimation. Big difference. A whole new energy wave. That plays hell with the Drive Forms. At best, he might be able to fight at full strength. At worse, just going into a Drive Form, even Valor Form, can make him pass out for days.

Bankai however, relies completely on Sora's inner strength, rather than on external 'boosters'. This means he can go into it 'on the fly', whenever he needs to.

Any questions, feel free to ask.

With that, I invite you to read!

"Kanzen Bankai."

Ichigo's grin grew wider as his reiatsu exploded out, thundering outwards and flattening Sora and Roxas to the walls of Sora's inner world with its force. The dragon sank Betrayal into the ground, trying to hold itself firm, but even it was pushed back a few feet. _'What the...?'_

"Heh, didn't you hear me the first time?" The first thing that could be seen when his reiatsu faded somewhat was Ichigo's grin, which now stretched the full length of his face, rare for someone as normally taciturn as him. "Kanzen Bankai. The pinnacle of shinigami strength."

"When a shinigami fully synchronizes with his zanpakutou, only then can Kanzen Bankai be achieved. Perfect Final Release." The spirit that had faded into existence over Ichigo's shoulder now stood next to him, holding a familiar sword in his hand. "I am Zangetsu. Ichigo's zanpakutou. We are now..."

"Kuroshiro Tensa Zangetsu." Ichigo and Zangetsu said together in perfect unison. Black White Heaven's Chain Moon Slasher

Ichigo was now draped in robes of snow white, his numerous minor wounds from his clashes with the dragon gone without a trace. Zangetsu was dressed in Ichigo's Bankai robes, and both held Tensa Zangetsu, Zangetsu's white, while Ichigo's was black. Reiatsu poured off the two of them in raging torrents, yet neither seemed fatigued.

The dragon's eyes widened, then narrowed. Roaring, it leapt at the two figures, only to have them melt away as Betrayal passed fluidly through them. It felt cold steel on its wings, then incredible pain as they were torn from its body. It spun around, roaring shockwaves coursing from Betrayal to smash into Ichigo, only for Zangetsu to effortlessly block them and throw them back at it, sending it flying back.

Shinigami and zanpakutou spirit worked seamlessly, each covering the other as they loosed attacks that made the air around them shimmer with pure force, waves of reiatsu washing over Sora and Roxas, revitalizing them somewhat.

"Hey, you two, make some cover. I'm about to blow this guy out." Ichigo suddenly appeared before the two of them, Zangetsu behind him with his eyes fixed on the dragon, who was warily watching them in turn. "The reiatsu might make you pass out. Sorry, I ain't that good at controlling it yet."

Sora gazed up at Ichigo in wonder. "What... who... how..."

"I don't have time to explain, Sora. Bakudou no Kyuu Jyuu San, Kuushun Heki." Binding Art #93, Void Flash Wall

Again, the air distorted around Sora and Roxas, but this time, instead of becoming solid, a void appeared between them and the current fighters, an empty space that would carry no debris. "You should be safe enough there." He smiled, and it smoothed away the lines in his brow, making him look a lot younger. He turned to Zangetsu. Let's go, Zangetsu-ossan."

The two of them disappeared; flying across their part of the room with such speed they were invisible to the naked eye. Wounds raked the dragon's body in a split second, before exploding with white and black energy, causing it to scream.

Zangetsu leapt back, Shiroi Tensa Zangetsu whirling in a lazy shining arc to slice through beams of black that the dragon shot at him, then Ichigo ducked under his zanpakutou spirit, Kuroi Tensa Zangetsu humming in anticipation of blood as he plunged it deep into the dragon's thigh. Zangetsu mirrored his wielder's movement, Shiroi Tensa Zangetsu stopping Betrayal dead in its tracks on its way to Ichigo's head, coal black on snow white as the impassive face of Zangetsu contrasted sharply with the snarling face of the dragon.

A huge burst of energy blasted out of the dragon, but Ichigo felt the tensing in the muscles right before it let loose, and grabbing Zangetsu, he flashed out of the way mere moments before the blast ripped the bare earth apart. As he dodged the burst, Ichigo spun around, halting his headlong flight, releasing Zangetsu in one swift motion. The man didn't hesitate; using his forward momentum, he grabbed the hilt of Kuroi Tensa Zangetsu, which Ichigo had planted into the ground, to swing himself around, digging his feet into the ground as he faced the dragon, slowing himself to a stop as he slashed forward, channelling all his momentum into the blast of energy that took the shape of a raging wolf that streaked across to the black being in the blink of an eye.

An explosion roared up as the lupine image bared its fangs, opening its jaws wide to close around the brandished blade of Betrayal. Zangetsu was unfazed however, continuing to send a barrage of energy wolves to slam into both the ground immediately before the dragon and the dragon itself, while Ichigo disappeared, reappearing behind the dragon as multiple beams of light smashed into Sora's anti-thesis.

Another explosion rocked the room as white and black met in a contrasting blaze, and flames suddenly appeared, crackling across the ground as Ichigo's reiatsu soared through the roof, blasting outwards in an incredible physical force. Kuroi Tensa Zangetsu strained against Betrayal, the twin black blades locking together, then Shiroi Tensa Zangetsu roared in, forcing the dragon to give way or lose its head.

Shinigami and zanpakutou disappeared, standing next to each other in a protective wall before the void that shielded Sora and Roxas from the worst of the conflicting forces. Ichigo sank back into his battle stance, left hand gripping right wrist, while Zangetsu swung Shiroi Tensa Zangetsu out to his side, then twisted his wrist so the blade has its edge upwards.

"It's not over yet." Ichigo grinned as his hazel eyes glared at the dragon.

* * *

Kurai and Mickey appeared far away from where he and Leo had left Sora, but he didn't immediately rush to him. "Mick, can you circle around? Come at them from the side. I'll go find Riku and get him to attack from another side. Leo'll take another, and I'll finish up from the other side."

Mickey nodded. "Turn the hunter into the hunted? Gotcha." He looked down at himself admiringly. Instead of the golden cloth and the purple stitching of the royal robes, he was now dressed in his familiar black cloak, so like that of Organization XIII. "Thanks, Kurai."

With a golden flash, the Gold Keyblade was in his hand again, and he smiled satisfyingly at the midnight sky. "Now to lose some tension." He disappeared in another gold flash that lit the surrounding area.

'You were listening?' Kurai sent in his head as Mickey left.

'Yeah.' Leo replied swiftly, and Kurai received a mental picture in his head about where the Arrancar were at the moment. 'They've stopped running; but I'm pretty sure they haven't sensed your presence yet, maybe due to the distance.'

'I chose to appear here on purpose. If they sensed me, they'd rip a coupla Gargantuas and get the heck outta there quick.' Kurai leapt into the air, a grey block under him that he sprawled lazily on. 'They don't know Mickey's dimensional sign. We should have the element of surprise. Have you delved into their minds yet?'

'No. But I might get a chance soon. They seem to have stopped completely.' Kurai got a brief image of countryside zooming across his mind, then it stopped, and the picture stilled, revealing the unnaturally pale skin and the remnants of a Hollow mask on the shoulder of the being the picture focused on.

"Ah..." Kurai said aloud.

'You know him?' Leo shot at him.

'No. But notice his uniform. Privarion Espada.' Kurai felt more than heard the ripple of surprise that rolled through Leo's body, exiting his mouth in a strangled gasp.

'P-Privarion...?! It wasn't enough that he sent actual Espada to Soul Society, he sent Privarion Espada to the Destiny Islands?!'

Kurai nodded, which Leo felt. 'Leo, circle 'round and search for Mickey. Tell him to lay low for now. We'll have to move carefully. An open battle could result in many casualties.'

'Gotcha.'

With that word, their mental connection was cut, and Kurai stared up at the midnight sky, his eyes troubled. "Aizen Sousuke... Just what are you planning...?"

* * *

Kairi stirred, and opening her eyes, she saw a familiar face, gazing at her in concern.

"Are you alright, Kairi?"

Kairi shook her head, but not in response to his question, but to get rid of the fogginess that floated around her head. "R...Riku? Why are you... Where... are we?" Then she looked around, taking in her surroundings. "The beach...? How did I get here...?"

Then her eyes snapped open wide, and flames surrounded the two of them, pushing her to her feet without harming either of them. "Sora! Where is he?! What happened to him?! Have you gotten the dragon out of him yet?!" Her eyes were wide as she mouthed, "Did you... _kill_ him...?"

Riku grinned sardonically. "No, we didn't. Kurai's a hell of a lot smarter than we gave him credit for. After you passed out, I brought you here as fast as I could, in case the dragon tried to kill you." He shivered slightly at his own words, but continued. "I'd barely got here when Leo popped out of nowhere next to me, and told me that Kurai had somehow gotten hold of Ichigo and got him inside Sora's head. Don't ask me how," he quickly added as an incredulous look appeared on Kairi's face. "You know Kurai, he breaks all the rules."

Kairi giggled a bit. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Then she frowned. "So what's Ichigo doing inside Sora's head?"

Riku's next words made her heart cold. "He's fighting the dragon."

Seeing the look on her face, Riku hurried to reassure her. "Don't worry, Ichigo's strong. You saw how he was back in Soul Society, against that Vasto Lorde thingy, and those four Escada, whatever they called 'em. He's way more powerful than Sora. The dragon had to stop controlling Sora. Leo told me they hid him back where we fought."

"Is Sora in danger?" Kairi asked, her eyes wide.

Riku shook his head. "No, no, he's fine. We're sure he's fine. If anything, I'm sure he's helping Ichigo. Roxas too."

"Bad news guys."

Dawn had suddenly appeared behind Riku, lounging back on the sand with ease. Her silver hair glowed in the moonlight, and she grinned at them, her young face a pale heart in the dark sand. "Sora and Roxas're pretty beat up. Ichigo came just before the black dude could kill them. Kinda touch and go."

A sudden pressure latched onto her arm, and she smiled softly as her green eyes made contact with Kairi's blue eyes. "Don't worry, he's alright. A bit knocked around, but nothing like how he'll feel when he wakes up." She giggled. "Not after Kurai, Leo, Riku and you busted him up."

Kairi and Riku winced slightly.

"Hey, we didn't have a choice!" Riku shouted. But Dawn put a finger to her lips.

"Hush, Rik. I didn't come out here to tell you that Sora's beat up. You're being watched." The Keyblade Spirit's eyes flitted toward a stand of trees that was some way off. "Don't look," she shot at Kairi, just as her head was about to turn to look at the trees. Riku, already used to such things, had kept his eyes fixed on Dawn.

"Who is it?" he asked, his tone casual. "Do you know him?"

Dawn shrugged, again a casual movement, then pointed out at the sea, to where another island could just be seen, as though pointing something out to the two of them. However, her words had nothing to do with island. "The uniform's similar to those Espada you guys fought back in Soul Society. Probably one of them. But I sense more presences similar to his around the island. And whadaya know? They're positioned in a circle, around Sora."

Riku swung his hand out to one side, but nothing appeared. He narrowed his eyes at Dawn. "Dawn..."

Dawn grinned, shaking her head. "Nuh-uh. You ain't rushing out there. Kurai's got everything covered."

Riku slapped a hand to his forehead, dragging it slowly down. "How did I know that?" he asked no one in particular.

"Anyways, we'd better get going. We're starting to look suspicious." Dawn again angled her head slightly to indicate the stand of trees. "Of course, we can also pretend we're out here for a nice slumber party!"

Riku frowned. "How did the Espada react to you suddenly morphing out behind us?"

Dawn grinned. "Easy. I walked up to you from out of his line of sight." She laughed. "Obvious, no?"

Riku raised an eyebrow. "That's so... _normal _of you..." he muttered.

Dawn just continued to grin. Kairi giggled a bit. Suddenly, all three of them were laughing, rolling on the sandy ground of the beach.

"And just what is so funny...?"

The soft voice filled with menace caused their laughter to stop abruptly, and the Soul Eater appeared in Dawn's hand, the tip hovering motionless only a fraction from the neck of the white-cloaked figure standing over them, whose eyebrows were slightly raised at the skill Dawn showed.

And above them, the moon turned crimson.

* * *

"Oi, blue bows, hurry up."

"Hurry up yourself pineapple-head!"

"..."

"I hope Kurosaki-kun's alright..."

"This is Ichigo we're talking about. He'll be fine. I'm more worried about his friends. The scanners show green dots where they are. Ichigo broke the rules to go help them, but Kurai's the one who told Soul Society to do a scan on these... Destiny Islands."

* * *

"Looks like Ichigo's got himself into some trouble again."

"Did the orange-haired girl tell you?"

"Don't call her that! She's my first love"

"That's what you said to me last time, idiot."

"So... are we going to aid them?"

"I say we don't go poking our noses into their business."

"You know, we DID help Ichigo control his darker side. Isn't he one of us now? I vote we go help."

"Same."

"Gah! Fine! I guess I'll have to go along if all you blockheads are gonna go off fighting!"

"You don't have to come, _boke_."

"Shuddup! And miss a fight? _Boke_ yourself!"

"Quit fighting you two. I guess we gotta move out then?"

"Quit your whinging, you monkey-faced brat! Yeah, we're moving out. Let's go. We'd better hurry though. That reiatsu... Privarion Espada."

"Privarion Espada?!"

"Ichi-tan's fighting against them? Wow!"

"Yes, yes, wow, yes, now let's go. Before anything worse can happen."

"Right! Everyone follow me!"

"He-Hey! You were the one who was so against it before! Oi, get back here you uncute gir- Ack!"

"Shut up. Now."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

A golden arc sheared through the sky, and an immense shockwave smashed into the white-robed figure, who simply raised a hand to meet the blow, not even flinching as it made contact. "Ho...?"

A familiar small figure leapt into view, the golden Keyblade a familiar sight to Riku and Kairi. Identical to the Kingdom Key, only with the colours inversed, the Gold Keyblade shimmered in the night, throwing out its own light to light up the area.

"King Mickey!"

Mickey threw a look over his shoulder. "Get out of here, you guys. _His_ orders."

Riku nodded, understanding immediately. "C'mon. Kairi, we're getting outta here."

But Kairi had to confirm it. "Is it Kurai?"

Immediately, the white-robed figure reacted. A blast of dense packed reiatsu exploded from his fist, careening over to Kairi, which was blocked by a reflexive wall of flame before her. As Mickey and Riku leapt in to engage him, he snapped his fingers, and the sky behind them was torn apart, and red beams tore through the night.

"Cero!" Dawn shouted.

Suddenly, flashes of gold and crimson whirled through the air, and the beams dispersed with a hum. Oathgiver and Eternity stood protectively before Kairi, holding their Keyblade selves in their hands.

"So it was true..." As the gap in the sky closed with a squeaking sound like a stuck video tape, the white-clad figure spoke again. "You three... Are you the Keyblade Masters?"

Riku stepped forward, Way to the Dawn gleaming in his hand as behind him, Dawn followed suit, slightly to Riku's left and back about half a pace, the Soul Eater held loosely in her left hand. "Who wants to know?" he asked brusquely.

To his surprise, the figure bowed. "Apologies. In my haste, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Siliocci Morqueda, the Hundred and First Arrancar. Privarion Espada. An honor."

"101st...? Isn't that... pretty far back?" Riku couldn't help but grin sarcastically.

The Arrancar raised one eyebrow, and suddenly, Riku was on the ground, curled up in a ball, choking as he tried to breathe, an immense pressure pinning him to the ground. "You were saying... boy?"

Dawn stepped forward, and as she did so, darkness exploded around them, wrapping around Riku and lifting him to his feet. Siliocci flickered out of view, reappearing a few feet back as the darkness threatened to engulf him, his eyes opened slightly as he stared at Dawn. Behind her, Oathgiver was standing before Mickey, who was enveloped in two shades of gold, one his own and one Oathgiver's, while Kairi was protected by a sphere of flames and a soft crimson veil as Eternity stood calmly before her.

"Idiot. Never underestimate your opponent, Rik. If I weren't here, you would've died." Dawn flicked her hair backwards with her right hand, her silver hair flowing out behind her. Before Riku's stunned eyes, she appeared to grow older, her hair growing longer, until an incredibly beautiful woman stood before him, clad not in Dawn's usual tanktop and miniskirt, but in a gown made of a strange material that seemed to fade in and out of sight over another, shorter robe, this one black. "It's been a long time since I fought, Rik. Let me have a go at him."

As she said that, Way to the Dawn disappeared in a black flash from Riku's hand, appearing instead in Dawn's hand. Behind him, he heard Oathgiver's low mutter and whistle of approval. "Whoo boy... Dawn's gonna go schizo on this guy..."

The Privarion Espada was unimpressed. "Oh? Revealing more skin and improving on your physical appearance will not help you any, girl."

Dawn said nothing, her blazing green eyes fixed on the Arrancar. A slight twist of her mouth alerted Siliocci, but before he could even move, a massive gaping slash travelled down his arm, blood spraying through the sky. Dawn hadn't moved from her place, visibly at least, but a thin trail of blood now dripped from the Soul Eater's blade.

"You were saying, big boy?" Dawn's green eyes hooded, and she leaned seductively to one side, bringing the Soul Eater's tip to her lips and licking the trickle of blood off, her eyes never leaving Siliocci's.

Riku visibly gulped; he knew she was his own Keyblade Spirit, yet she looked so... tempting. Oathgiver was a little bemused to, and Eternity stepped up behind him, giving him a discreet poke in the backside to wake him up. Of all the males, only King Mickey was unaffected, his eyes not on Dawn, but on Siliocci. Kairi was watching Dawn, open-mouthed.

"...Interesting. You have some skills, girl." The Privarion Espada started forward, his white-clad arm flashing out in a pale blur faster than the eye could see. But with a loud clang, the star steel of Way to the Dawn caught it on the knuckles, twisting around for Dawn to aim a backhand blow at his head, which he dodged as a burst of static heralded his _sonido_ ability to move at _shunpo_ speeds. His hand dropped down to the sword sheathed at his side. "Would you like me to turn it up a notch?"

Dawn smiled, but her smile was more of the predator than the prey. "Oh, don't stop at a notch. We have all night. Come at me with all you got"

For the first time, Siliocci smiled. "Very well. This is my Ressurecion. Burn it into your mind. You will not survive very long. I'll try and keep it painless. Your beauty deserves at least that much."

Dawn cocked her head to one side, her smile still on her face. "Oh...?" Her voice held a purr in it that made Riku shiver slightly, and even Mickey had to blink once.

"_Torikowasu, Hidra._" Tear down, Hydra

White liquid sloshed out of the zanpakutou, disintegrating the blade as it did, wrapping around Siliocci as it did. However, before it could solidify, Dawn struck.

In the blink of an eye, she was standing behind the Arrancar, her full lips mere millimetres from the pale skin of the Privarion Espada. "What's the matter...? I said we had all night..." Her tongue glistened in the red moon that shone down on the Destiny Islands as she licked Siliocci's neck. Riku and Oathgiver both gulped. Then a rain of slashes descended on the evolved Hollow, his armour half-solidified, not even giving him to chance to blink as he exploded into a haze of white and red particles.

Dawn threw both keyblades into the air, then pointed her index finger at them, her thumb up, rest of her fingers curled in as she formed the shape of a gun with her hand, closed one eye and sighted down it, then pretended to fire it. "Bang." The Soul Eater and Way to the Dawn both vanished in a swirl of black.

She threw her hair back again, and the red moonlight caught it, making it shimmer like rubies in liquid form. She turned her face to the moon, and her face glowed with its scarlet light, and she laughed, the sound causing Riku and Oathgiver to noticeably shiver again. Riku's face was glowing almost the same hue as the moon, and Oathgiver wasn't much better, despite Eternity's glare from behind him. "Have you forgotten Oathkeeper?" she growled in his ear.

Oathgiver shook his head, closing his eyes as he tried to clear his head. "Yes... Yes... Oathkeeper..." Eternity struck a hand to her face. "Typical..."

Dawn glanced at Riku, then turned to face him full on, cocking her head to one side. "Like what you see, Rik?" she teased.

Now it was Riku's turn to shake his head furiously. "Ye-Nu... HOW THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO ANSWER?!"

Dawn smiled, putting a finger to her lips as she winked. "Who knows...?"

"How did you... change from that... to... to... to THAT?!" he pointed at her, then pointed at the moon, noticed what he was pointing at, then gestured wildly before pointing at her.

Behind him, Eternity and Kairi, as well as Mickey and Oathgiver, were in a group huddle.

"Definitely..."

"But are you sure? This IS Riku..."

"Look at him. Just _look_ at him..."

"Why are we having this discussion?"

"BECAUSE! How can _Riku_ of all people..."

"I can _hear_ you guys here!" Riku shouted. "Shut up behind my back!"

Dawn giggled again, then walked slowly forward, the sea breeze catching her gown and hair and sending them streaming out in a river and a stream of intertwined silver and ruby. Coming close to Riku, who suddenly felt that he was in water rather than air, she placed her finger on his lips. "Shhh... Don't worry. _She_ will come soon. Sooner than you think." She winked again, and Riku felt his heart skip a beat.

"Just keep waiting. Soon. I promise." Slowly, her finger moved up Riku's face, then without warning, but with a soft giggle, she flicked the silver-haired boy's forehead. Riku was taken by surprise, and the unexpected force of the flick sent him stumbling back. When he recovered, Dawn was an adolescent girl again, leaning slightly towards him, her hands behind her back and a huge grin plastered on her face, her clothes back to normal. "Oh...? Are you looking for somebody?"

Kairi was now full out laughing, rolling around on the ground behind Riku, and even Mickey was laughing aloud. Oathgiver and Eternity had disappeared.

"Di-Did you see the _look_ on his face?" Kairi hooted. Mickey could only nod, unable to make a coherent sound. A vein twitched in Riku's forehead.

"SHUT UP!!"

* * *

"One down."

"And we aren't even there yet..."

"Could it be... Kurosaki-kun...?"

"Nah, don't think so.He said he's going after the big cheese. Hope he left some for me."

"..."

"Good idea. Show them what they should do when we're this close to the enemy."

"HEY!"

* * *

"Didja sense that?"

"There was no reiatsu flare. But there was definitely an incredible power from that area."

"The Privarion reiatsu that was there has vanished as well."

"Damn! I missed one!"

"Calm down. There ARE four more."

"Hey... I sense Menos. Being summoned all around the Islands Ichigo's on."

"Ha! Menos, is that all?"

"No no wait! I sense some too, but they aren't Gillians. They're surrounding Ichi-tan!"

"What?!"

"Adjuchas?"

"Yes. Many of them."

"Then let's hurry!"

"Yeah. Ichigo, hang on. We're coming."****

Guess who those two groups areeeeee...! :Grins maniacally: Read and review! :Laughs maniacally:**  
**


	35. Oath's Keeping

So sorry for the uber slow update guys. Like I said, I have no intention of giving this fic up, and will be working on it as much as I can. It's been absolutely _brutal_, with assignments bouncing off the walls, as well as incredible amounts of homework. The past two days alone have given me three assignments, as well as an essay. My mind's been worked up to a crazy fervor, and not the good ones too. So yeah, I apologize, and I'll try to get the other chapters up a little more regularly. Maybe once a month, if I can, rather than the weekly ones I've had planned. No promises though, I'm sorry.

**To my reviewers:  
**Caged Bird in Demon Arms: The Soul Eater IS the Way to the Dawn. You can see the similarities if you just take a glance. An easy way of putting it is that the Soul Eater, given to him by Maleficent, has become the Way to the Dawn because of the change in his heart. Although nothing much has happened to it besides getting a keychain and becoming feather-themed rather than bat-winged.  
Scorch406: Heh, that's a great compliment, reading Bleach because of my fic. I'm grateful. Hope you like it as much as I do.  
Shire Folk: Yes they are. This chapter tells you who they are. And yeah, Dawn's fight was awesome for me to write. It's not often a woman as beautiful as I've described her to be is also incredibly powerful with the blade.  
Pseudo-daemonum: Thanks for that, battle scenes are kinda easy for me to write, since they're usually fast-paced, and the action rolls straight from my head onto the keyboard. This means that a single battle can take up a chapter, if not more, which means fast updates. As for your critical review, this chapter will shrivel. It was written mostly at night when my brain was dead, so... .:Winces:.  
MissShenSizzle10: Thanks!  
A-dizzle: Yeah, I've noticed few people watch/read Bleach around here. .:Embarrassed laughter:. No, she doesn't have an older person inside her. Spirits of the keyblade can vary their appearance as they wish, it's just that some prefer a certain form, like you prefer a certain set of clothing. Dawn prefers a form that isn't suited to fighting, so she shifts to a battle-ready form when she needs to fight. You can see another example here.  
RockCityRockStar: xD Well, here's the next chappy!  
DarkJaylenX: Glad you do!  
SauronBane: Quite simply? Nice. But then, you DO read Bleach. xD As for whether or not they're from SS, that's debatable, considering... You'll see. Thanks though.  
BlackChaos105: Sorry Leo isn't making any appearances lately. He's scouting the area. But he'll be back, I promise.

Well, enough with that, and again, apologies to all for the late update. I've made a forum though, that I'll visit as regularly as I can, which you can reach from my profile. Go ahead and create some topics in there, or post! Questions, ideas, or even (Dare I say it) fanart! xD

* * *

"This is the art of dying."

Ichigo spun Kuroi Tensa Zangetsu expertly in his hand, opposite Zangetsu as the zanpakutou spirit swung Shiroi Tensa Zangetsu to the side, flicking black blood off the snow white blade.

The dragon was on its knees, panting heavily. Its golden eyes glared hatefully at the Captain Shinigami, but it had to stop to throw its glance at Zangetsu every now and again, afraid of a back attack. By standing opposite each other, they had effectively put it in a position where it feared to make a move, lest the other attacked from the back.

Slowly at first, then speeding up minutely, the two started to run in circles around the dragon. As its golden eyes slid from one corner of his face to the other, one of them would leap in, dealing a crippling blow before continuing to circle. Ichigo's trademark Bankai speed remained with the two of them, afterimages started to sprout up, making it even harder to discern the blurs that were making Sora and Roxas cross-eyed.

"What's the matter? Can't you keep up?"

Ichigo grinned, releasing several Kuroi Getsuga Tenshou's at random, which slammed with enough force into the dragon to force it into a deep crater. Zangetsu said nothing, meeting eyes with Ichigo. Immediately, the duo stopped circling, again settling for keeping the dragon's attention split on two sides of the room.

'_Coward.'_

Ichigo grinned again. "Ho...?"

The dragon glared at him. _'COWARD!'_

Ichigo laughed. "Who cares. As long as the enemy is defeated, no? And actually... I was fighting alone. Zangetu-ossan is a part of me. Sucks you can't project your inner self out here, don't it?"

The dragon smirked, then quivering, it stood up. Ichigo's smile faded slowly, and the chain on Kuroi Tensa Zangetsu's pommel clinked softly as he readied the mighty blade. _'Fine. I will leave for now.'_

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Hell no!"

Zangetsu was right behind him as they both leapt in, black and white arcs of spirit steel raging through the air... to slam into thin ground. The dragon had vanished.

* * *

Kurai's head snapped up. Next to him, Leo started. "What is it, Kurai?"

Kurai's face broke into a grin. "The dragon's gone. Ichigo did what I wanted him to." Then his face grew serious. "But he had to go into Kanzen Bankai to do it. Is this how strong the dragon within Sora is...? It's almost as strong as me..."

Leo frowned. "It seems to have stolen your strength when it left you..."

Kurai nodded, still looking thoughtful. "And I still have my connections with the dragons. They still accept me as Dragonlord." He shook his head. "There are too many mysteries regarding that dragon. But whatever it is, I still have its power. For good or for worse."

Leo nodded. "I can still feel it in you. But it seems... non-malignant. Content. Maybe it left behind a piece of itself in you that isn't enough to face the angel in you?"

Kurai shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe. There's too little we know 'bout that bastard. But he's gone now. From me at least. Now that he ain't in me, I can try to beat him. Once and for all."

Then he stood up. Flinging a hand out to one side, he grinned as a familiar black blade appeared out of the rift he summoned. "Looks like Betrayal ain't betraying me no more. It's changed."

Leo peered at the black blade, but he could see no change. "Whadaya mean, Kurai? Looks much the same as usual t'me."

Kurai grinned. "It's not something you see. It's something inside. It's now no longer the dragon's sword; it's the Dragonlord's sword."

Leo grinned back at him. "In other words, you mean it's yours now?"

Kurai nodded. "Yup. Right in one. I raised ya a smart kid, Leo."

Leo rolled his eyes. "I taught _myself_, Kurai. Anyways, let's go hunt us some Privarion behind."

Kurai's grin turned feral. "Hell yeah."

The duo vanished in swirls of black.

* * *

Seconds after they disappeared, five figures appeared in the very clearing they had been occupying. Two were dressed in shinigami robes, while one was dressed in a white uniform with blue stripes that formed crosses. The other two wore more conventional clothing, but one of them was a huge giant of a man, while the other had chestnut orange hair down to her waist. All in all, a strange group.

"Who were those two?" asked the one wearing white. He pushed the rectangular glasses he wore further up the bridge of his nose with his middle and index finger.

"I don't recognise their reiatsu..." This was from the chestnut haired girl. She absently brushed a single strand of hair back over her ear, held back by a pair of blue hairpins.

"Kurai." The one who spoke had a single strand of black hair coming down over her face.

"The Fallen Angel Kuchiki-san and Abarai-kun have been talking about?" The girl cocked her head to one side, her eyes on the other.

"Yeah." This was from the red-head. He was kneeling on the ground, his sword drawn in his hand as he held his other palm to the ground, his eyes closed as he concentrated.

"Is he really as powerful as you say...?" The white-garbed teen seemed doubtful, his eyes narrowed slightly as they glared at the redhead.

"Put it this way. He can take Yama-jiisan down. With half power. He literally solo'ed a Vasto Lorde." The red head answered without looking up, his eyes still closed. Then he stood up again, and pulled the binoculars that doubled as a headband down over his eyes, scanning the area.

"...!" The huge teenager remained silent, but there was an aura of respect now among his figure as he looked up at the night sky.

"I'm not kidding. Ask Rukia. She was there as well." The red-head growled under his breath. "Dammit, can't find them. I wonder where that bloody Ichigo is."

The short girl with the single strand of hair coming over her face nodded. "Kurai's power is… legendary. But he had to call for aid from Soul Society. Whatever's going on, it's bad."

The redhead grinned. "But whatever's going on, they ain't alone. They've saved us twice now. It's high time we returned the favour." His eyes gleamed in the darkness as he placed his hand forward, just as he had done in Hueco Mundo a while ago.

Rukia nodded. "A Kuchiki never forgets a debt." She placed her hand above his.

"…" Yasutora Sado said nothing, but reiatsu curled around his arm, revealing a red arm with intricate designs on it, which he placed on top of Rukia's.

"_Hai!_" Orihime Inoue's face was set as she placed her pale hands on Chad's arm. 'Maybe this time…' she thought. 'This time… I can fight!'

Ishida Uryuu sighed again. "Why do I always get caught up in a shinigami's fights?" He stepped forward, placing his hand on Orihime's, both of them blushing very slightly.

"1, 2, 3, BANZAI!" Abarai Renji yelled as they all plunged their hands down.

* * *

"Y'hear that?" Hirako Shinji glanced upwards, hearing a wild shout from somewhere on the islands.

"Yeah. Sounds like you when you're drunk." Muguruma Kensei placed a well-placed dig at their unofficial leader, unsheathing the sword he wore, twirling it expertly in his hand.

"That was mean, Kensei!" Kuna Mashiro cried out, bouncing on her heels in her white bodysuit. Her green hair reflected the moonlight as she spun around. "So Ichi-tan is here?"

"Apparently. I can still feel that guy's reiatsu." Yadoumaru Lisa scoffed lightly, still holding a book in her hands, her eyes scanning the words without leaving the pages. "Honestly, after fifty years, you'd think he'd be able to hold it in better."

"There there, Lisa. Please calm down. Kurosaki-kun is who he is. And he has powers that none of us have. The fabled Kanzen Bankai, forbidden to us Vizard, is one, and the mythical Kamen Kanzen Bankai." Ushouda Hachigen spoke up, the huge Vizard with the crossbone marking on his pink hair. "It is only understandable that he cannot hold in such enormous power."

"Yeah yeah yeah, that oaf's been getting on my nerves for some time now. I mean, Shinji, he took your post! Ain't you pissed about that? I hate that Nemu girl!" Sarugaki Hiyori stamped her foot in frustration. "That bloody Urahara…"

"Are you sure it's really Urahara you're angry at? Maybe you're mad at Hikifune for leaving you?" Rose cut in smoothly. The Vizard yawned slightly as he glanced at Love. "What do you think?" He shook his long blonde hair back.

Aigawa Rose shrugged. "It's not my place to say. It's Hiyori's history, not ours. For now, I think we'd better go see who was making that infernal racket."

Shinji nodded. "Agreed. C'mon, let's go."

Within moments, there wasn't even a hint that there had been people standing where they had been.

* * *

"Orihime-chan!"

Orihime spun around in surprise, to see a man running full pelt towards them, his blonde hair waving in the air as he tripped over a rock, staining his white clothes as he rolled down the hill, his tie nearly strangling him as he leapt back to his feet before the group from Karakura. "Hirako-san!"

Shinji saluted smartly, but his haircut and the fact that he had just been rolling down the hill made him look a little funny. "Present! And so is our… ah… backup." He grinned slightly as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

The rest of the Vizard appeared in swirls of reiatsu, some bigger than others, although the predominant reiatsu surrounding them was still the slightly Hollow-like reiatsu of Chad's activated arm.

Renji's eyes grew wide. He, Chad and Ishida were the only ones who hadn't met the Vizard in some form or other, but he was the one who wore his emotions and expressions on his sleeves. "Who the hell are you?!"

Ishida's eyes narrowed as a glowing blue bow that looked like a pentacle of spiderweb threads appeared in his right hand, his left hand already holding an arrow that was pointed straight at the new arrivals. "…Hirako…? Weren't you a student in Karakura High School?" His eyes flashed behind their glasses, going to the zanpakutou sheathed at the other man's waist. "A zanpakutou…?!"

Shinji grinned, unperturbed by the weapons aimed at him, Zabimaru and Ginrei Kojaku not fazing him in the least. "We're not someone you guys'd want to be affiliated with. Y'know them Arrancar? We're the same as them, but reversed. You guys call us the Vizard." His grin somehow started to look sinister, despite not changing in the least. "Nice to meetcha!"

Ishida moved first, but before he could fire, Orihime stopped him, "No, Ishida-kun! He's a friend!" She stepped before him, holding her hands wide out.

Shinji had hearts in his eyes as he gazed at Orihime. "Orihime-chan! So you really do care!" A geta to the back of his head slammed him into the ground as Hiyori stepped on top of him, grinding her Japanese slippers into his skull.

"Oi! We're not here so you can gaze at the orange-haired girl! We're here to help Ichigo, remember?!" She punctuated each sentence with a harsh twisting of her foot. "I can't HEAR you Shinji!" Shinji mumbled something, his face in the dirt, as the watchers sweat-dropped.

Suddenly, a massive blast of reiatsu caught them in its grasp, leaving the Karakura group slightly breathless, although the Vizard didn't seem to feel anything. Their eyes met, and they said one word, the word that was on all of their minds. "Ichigo."

Rukia's eyes flashed at the newcomers. "Well, if you're here to help Ichigo, then I guess you're friends." Her eyes narrowed. "But if you try a fast one on us, we'll kill you."

Rose nodded. "No worries, we wouldn't dream of harming you lot, friends of Ichigo." He smiled dazzlingly.

* * *

"Dammit!"

Ichigo slammed his fist into the ground. "I almost HAD him! I was SO close!" He raised Zangetsu, slashing forwards as he yelled out, "Getsuga Tenshou!" A rippling wave of white energy blasted out, cleaving a huge gash into the bare rock of the mountain he was standing on.

"Calm down, Ichigo! Everything's fine for now, so calm down! I'm still alright, the dragon hasn't taken over yet, the darkness hasn't taken over! It's alright!" Sora was trying futilely to convince his friend that he wasn't to blame, but he had a feeling that Ichigo wouldn't listen to him. "Ichigo, are you listening to me?!"

Ichigo raised his head to look at the stars of Destiny Island, now that they were out of Sora's mind. "Y'know, I've always thought the stars looked beautiful. But I never had a chance to stop and actually take a look at them. It sucks, doesn't it? Always fighting, always on guard, never a chance to relax." He hefted the huge cleaver onto his shoulder, turning around to look at Sora. "Is that how you feel, Sora? When the weight of the world… no… when the weight of the Worlds are pressing on your shoulders?"

Sora sighed. He winced a bit, feeling his ribs as he got up. "Man,they didn't hold back..." he muttered. A slight grin flitted over his face. "Least they tried though." Raising his hand, he muttered a single word, "Curaga." Green light cascaded over the injured warrior, healing him as he felt both reinvigorated and exhausted, a strange feeling. Shivering a bit, he held a hand to his head.

Ichigo caught him before he could fall. "Y'alright, Sora?" His brow was furrowed as he helped the Keyblade Master to his feet, still wavering slightly. Sora nodded, holding out a hand to steady himself. Two flashes of light erupted behind him, and he felt the familiar hands of his Keyblade spirits holding him upright. "Thanks, Oathkeeper, Oblivion."

He turned to Ichigo, a sheepish grin on his face. "Ichigo, have you ever felt both exhausted and fired up at the same time?"

Ichigo nodded, the same grin on his face. "Yeah. Plenty of times. Lemme guess, that green light just now was you healing yourself when you're already tired, right? I remember Kurai telling me something of how magic works in your world. Cure, was it? Or was it Cura or Curaga? Anyways, any of these can leave you drained, so leave the fighting to me."

Sora looked up at him sharply at his last words. "Fighting…?"

Slinging the huge zanpakutou down, the shinigami nodded. "Yeah. Can't you feel 'em? We've got some Arrancar here, although the reiatsu is way stronger than a normal Arrancar. Not as strong as an Espada though. I got my bet on Privarion, demoted Espada."

Oathkeeper and Oblivion shared a glance, and nodded. "Sora, if you won't mind, me and Oathkeeper'll be fighting today, while you're tired." Oblivion tapped Sora on the shoulder, and as the Wielder turned to face him, he found himself nose to tip with the keyblade itself.

"But…!" Sora was about to protest, but then he remembered how the two keyblade spirits had fought when they were trying to get him to learn their names. How Ars Arcanum barely scratched them. A small smile came on his face. "If you let me watch, then I guess that's alright."

Oblivion grinned. "Trying to leech some of our moves off us are you? You're a devious one." He threw his head back and laughed. "Well, 'least I know you take after Riku. You think that guy just wanted to fill up the time when he watched you and Tidus spar?"

Ichigo threw out a hand to silence them. "You in the black, if you're gonna fight, get ready. You too, whites. If you two aren't gonna fight, then I'll take them." He gestured to the left of the mountaintop they were on. "Hadou no Sanjyuu Ichi, Shakkahou."

A blast of red flame erupted from his palm, streaking across the dawning sky to slam into the upraised zanpakutou of the Privarion Espada as she leapt out into view. "Che. Always so eager to fight, aren't you?"

The long yoyo-like weapon twirled through the air, spinning in a blasting line straight forward to slam into the ground inches from Ichigo's foot. The Captain of the Fifth Division didn't flinch, a small grin on his upturned mouth. "Cirucci. I thought you'd been killed by the Exequias. Apparently not. Tell me. Is Dorrdonii alright?"

The Privarion Espada scoffed. "Him? He's already dead. The Exequias took care of him right and proper." She threw her head back, laughing scornfully.

"I see." Ichigo suddenly disappeared from where he stood, Zangetsu reaching out to tear her head off, but the Privarion sonido-ed away, barely able to dodge it. Her zanpakutou whipped out in retaliation, but Zangetsu blocked it with pathetic ease.

"Y'know, I reckon I could kick your ass in Shikai." Ichigo smirked.

"Wait."

Ichigo looked up in surprise. "You two…?" His eyes fell on the two Keyblade spirits, who were looking disdainfully at Cirucci Thunderwitch, the 105th Arrancar, Privarion Espada. Oathkeeper and Oblivion held their keyblade selves in their hands, white and black star steel contrasting and absorbing the darkness around them as the sun's first rays touched them from across the horizon.

"This fight, is ours." Oathkeeper shifted slightly, and she was suddenly dressed differently, in a breastplate of white steel which left her midriff bare, and a short skirt of steel plates. Underneath that were a pair of black tights, clinging to her skin while under the breastplate, she wore a light white tanktop.

Oblivion nodded, a quick grin flitting across his face. "You got that right. I'll let Oathkeeper take this one. That alright with you?" He tilted his head backwards, glancing at Ichigo, who nodded. "Yeah Oathkeeper, it's your show." He tossed his keyblade self into the air, where it melted into the dawn.

Oathkeeper nodded. "Very well. Shall we dance?" Raising her left hand, she glanced at Oblivion, who nodded as well. "Go ahead, Oathkeeper."

* * *

Oathgiver looked up suddenly. "She's fighting."

Eternity glanced at him. "Oathkeeper?"

Oathgiver nodded. "Yeah. C'mon, I sense something around her area."

Riku, Dawn and King Mickey all nodded. "Got it. C'mon, let's go." Riku clicked his fingers, and a portal of darkness appeared out of nowhere before them. Together, the group ran into the portal, which slid shut deftly behind them.

* * *

Twin keyblades of the same shape, but different shade swung through the air, dying the still slightly dark clearing in a golden hue. The whirling disk of gold spun through the air, always deflected by Oathkeeper easily as she swung both her Keyblade self and Oathgiver. The two Oaths whirled through the air, gold and silver creating a mesh of star steel that no matter how much Cirucci tried, the golden whip couldn't get through.

"You irritating woman! Argh! And that dress too! It hurts my eyes!" Cirucci threw her disk forward again, which Oathkeeper deflected. The Arrancar gritted her teeth, throwing caution to the winds. The whip rippled in an undulating movement, tearing sideways through the air as Oathkeeper took to the sky, brilliant white wings unfolding from her back.

"Y'know, Oathkeeper's kinda a fashion idol among us Keyblades. You ain't much better looking, that's for sure." Although Oathkeeper kept silent, Oblivion didn't, keeping up a running commentary under the now aerial battle. "I mean, those sleeves are… ew!"

A vein bulged from the female Arrancar's forehead, and she strated to scream, "Die, die die!" Throwing the disk upwards, she shouted out, "_Kakkire, Gorondiina!_" (Rip off, Swallow) "Now come, come and DIE!" A blast of reiatsu exploded from her, forcing Oathkeeper back slightly, and Oblivion's mouth turned up slightly. "Oh…?"

Ichigo yawned. "Lemme tell you, Dordonii's release was a hell of a lot better looking than hers, and that's saying something." He grinned. "Is the little birdy getting angry?" A single blade came shearing through the sky, and Ichigo slashed upwards with Zangetsu, ripping it in two. "Yup, definitely angry." Reiatsu started to swirl around him as he raised Zangetsu. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

The familiar rippling wave of energy slid smoothly from the cleaver-like zanpakutou, lighting up the area as it slammed into the wings of the new figure of the Privarion Espada.

A pair of huge wings extended from her back, with large wickedly sharp blades in place of feathers, although now one of them was missing. Her arms had become grotesquely long, with long thin sharp claws. Her shoulders were protected by a strange armour that looked like it was made from one of her sealed disks, and what remained of her mask, which had taken the form of what looked like a spiked hairpin on the left of her forehead, had cascaded down her back, almost like feathers, making a mane of sorts before it arced back forward to protrude out from her hips. The very air around her wings and mane seemed to shimmer, vibrating at high frequencies to further increase their potential.

Oathkeeper's face didn't change, which infuriated the ex-Espada. "Oi! Are you looking or not?! This new form, it overshadows any of your powers! There's no way you can beat me anymore!"

"Is that so?" Oathkeeper spoke for the first time since the battle had started. "I would advise you to be more careful in battle." She lifted Oathgiver and pointed the golden blade at the wings of the Privarion Espada.

Cirucci's eyes widened as her wings were torn off; the blades that formed the feathers falling to the ground in a tuneless rhapsody as Oblivion disdainfully swiped his hand through the air. His keyblade self reappeared for a brief instant, and a huge force of darkness took hold of the broken bits and flung them away, embedding them into the cliff wall. "Overconfidence is always the first step to loss, Witchy."

Oathkeeper nodded. "The moment you released your zanpakutou, your true self, you were already defeated by me. The process, the time delay between releasing it and gaining your new form was long enough for me to strike the finishing blow. Farewell, Cirucci Thunderwitch."

Cirucci screamed. "I have survived the Exequias, I have regained light in the eyes of Aizen-sama! I will not fall to one such as you!"

A black arc clove the sky in two, and Cirucci was stopped dead, her mouth still open in the middle of her tirade as her eyes move fearfully to her midsection. Blood sprayed out in a crimson burst, and she disintegrated into white particles that faded into the dawn. Oblivion's face held no emotion at all, his keyblade self in his hand as he twirled it expertly, traces of black mist still hovering around the blade. "Shut up."

Sora's mouth was wide open. "…" He couldn't think of any words to say, since his mind was a complete blank.

'_Y'know, during that Bankai thing, if they'd decided to go all out, I doubt you'd be alive right now.' _Roxas' voice carried a tone of awe, not the usual mocking vibe. Sora didn't argue; he knew it was true.

Oblivion grinned at his Wielder. "Hope ya learnt something, Sora. When an enemy is powering up, take 'em out before they can get you with their new powers. It's the classic trick: Why fight a powered up enemy when you don't have to?"

Sora shook himself out of his daze and nodded, placing his hands behind his head in his trademark pose. "Sure, I knew that." In his head, Roxas snorted.

A portal of darkness appeared to one side, and as Sora spun around, the Ultima Weapon in his hand, Oathkeeper stepped forward, placing her keyblade self on the ultimate keyblade. "Calm down, Sora. They're here."

Riku ran out, Way to the Dawn ready, as Kairi followed with balls of flame wreathing around her slim figure. Dawn herself was completely calm, tailing behind the other two keyblade spirits as Oathgiver and Eternity strode out. Oathkeeper's eyes lit up as they saw Oathgiver, and Oblivion and Eternity embraced gently to one side.

"Hey." Ichigo grinned at the two Wielders. "It's been a while since Soul Society, hasn't it, Riku, Kairi?" Zangetsu was now stored on his back, under the white haori of the Fifth Division Captain, wrapped in the long bandage-like extension that flowed from the pommel of the zanpakutou.

Riku nodded, grinning. "Heh, yeah. How're the guys? Is Ukitake still coughing badly?" His eyes flashed slightly. Back in Soul Society, he had somehow managed to have a small chat with the Captain of the Thirteenth Division, and the two had manged to click, due to Ukitake's natural kindness, as well as his slight eccentricity. He had been overjoyed to find another person with silver hair, and Hitsugaya, the short Captain of the Tenth Division had sniggered slightly as Ukitake plied candies on the silver haired Wielder.

Ichigo's face went slightly dark. "I _told_ him not to fight in that Hollow invasion back when you were there." Riku stepped forward. "What happened to him?!"

Ichigo shook his head. "Nothing really major, but he's coughing a lot more now. Unohana's been paying a lot of house visits, along with that spectacled Third Seat dude from the Fourth, to teach him how to deal with cases like that. Vice-Captain Isane's also been popping along. I mean, to need the Captain, Vice-Captain and Third Seat of the Healing Division, that's really bad."

Riku's hand gripped the hilt of Way to the Dawn slightly tighter. "Tell him to get some rest, from me."

Ichigo nodded. "Sure. Oh, and he told me to give you this." He fumbled somewhere in his robes, then took a small snow white dagger out, tossing it to Riku, who caught it deftly. The teen raised an eyebrow. "And this is…?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Beats me. All he said was to give it to you. Apparently, you'll know what to do with it. Oh, and he told me to say something hella strange to you. Snow White. That ring a bell?"

Riku's brow furrowed, then cleared. "Yeah, got it." Dawn flicked her hair back, grinning at him.

* * *

"I wonder if Riku-kun has received that dagger now…? The story of why I got tuberculosis, the reason my hair went white… I hope he takes that to heart." Ukitake Juushiro coughed a little, smiling wryly at the sight of the crimson blood on the palm of the hand he brought to his face. "It's getting worse…"

"Ukitake-taichou!" Kotetsu Isane came running in, her silver hair flying behind her, a single braid of hair wrapped in gold and red cloth amongst them. "Unohana-taichou told you not to exert yourself!"

Behind her, her sister, Kotetsu Kiyone, tripped over her own feet, landing face down on the ground, her page-boy's cut of blonde hair now slightly greyed with dirt. However, she popped straight back up, unharmed. "Nee-san! Is Ukitake-taichou alright?!"

Right on her heels, a tall, muscular man with black hair held up in a headband tripped over her, and the two of them slammed into the ground. "Oi! Sentarou! Get off me you big lug!"

Kotsubaki Sentarou squirmed a bit. "I'm trying!" he shouted back. Finally extracting themselves from their bundle of arms and legs, the two spun around to face each other, glowering, then seemed to remember something, twisting themselves around to bow low at the Vice-Captain of the Fourth Division and the Captain of the Thirteenth Division.

"Ukitake-taichou, are you alright? Do you feel pain anywhere? Is the cough better? Do you need more pillows? Do you want another quilt? Is it too hot? Is it too cold? Can I get you anything?" Both third-seat members glared at each other as they said the exact same thing as the other. "Quit copying me!"

"Enough."

The two third seat members spun around again as Isane breathed a sigh of relief. She loved her sister, but she was just too much sometimes. She bowed her head as the graceful figure of Unohana Retsu walked, no, glided into the room.

The Captain of the Fourth Division fixed the two third seats of the Thirteenth Division in her eyes, and even though she still wore a gentle smile on her face, the two shinigami started to tremble, sweat beading on their foreheads. "Please excuse us!" Even in their state, they somehow managed to speak in complete synchronization, and they run out of the room.

"Ara…? I wonder why they left in such a hurry…?" Unohana continued to walk forward, her eyes taking in the surroundings. Pointing her hand at the fireplace, she murmured, "Hadou no Sanjyuu Ichi, Shakkahou." As the burst of flame leapt from her flesh to stoke the cold ashes of the hearth, Isane giggled. Her Captain had that effect on people, for some reason. Maybe it was that old saying. The rumours that say the hands of a healer are the hands of a killer.

"How do you feel, Ukitake-taichou?" She knelt down by the futon, gesturing for Isane to do the same.

"I'm alright, Unohana-san. The pain's still in the lungs. I've felt around a bit with my reiatsu, and I don't think it's spread very far." He chuckled a bit. "Maybe it's because of the feeling of agelessness that being shinigami, or even souls give us."

Isane settled down next to Unohana as she held a hand above the sick Captain. A green aura drifted down, so slow it seemed like a curtain or veil of green diamonds, as Unohana's mouth moved with the silent words of the Fukudou, the Healing Arts. She closed her eyes, and her reiatsu reached out as well, mingling with Unohana's, yet not merging, watching her works and hearing the soft, inaudible chants that gave the kidou recognition.

* * *

"So, you decided to take me out for a spin, eh?" Oathgiver hugged Oathkeeper to his side, both smiling radiantly as they talked.

"I felt Dawn fighting. I thought that you wouldn't be given a chance, so I thought I'd remind you where your loyalties lie." Oathkeeper replied calmly, her blue eyes flashing.

Oathgiver held his free hand in the air. "How could I go wrong?" Oathkeeper struggled to keep her face under control, but couldn't, and started laughing, followed soon after y Oathgiver as the two shared a light kiss on the cheek.

Sora was blushing red, looking everywhere but at them or Kairi. With the thrill of battle over, the memories flooded in, how he had spoken to her in their Secret Place, how he had run from her. Even now, he could still see the tears that had been rolling down her face as he turned away, the slight glimpse he caught of her as he fled.

Riku's eyes were dark as he leant casually against the cliff face. His gaze remained on Sora, although flitting every now and again to Kairi as she teetered between the keyblade spirits, her eyes ever on Sora, although she tried to hide it. 'C'mon, Sora. _C'mon!_'

Mickey stayed in the background, hidden, swathed in the cloak that blended in the night, as Kurai stood next to him. "You think?" the angel asked. Mickey shook his head, not speaking. Kurai sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better send you home before Donald goes ballistic. Here, Mick."

Kurai waved a hand at the ground, and a portal of darkness appeared. Mickey nodded again, his eyes on the Wielders. Finally, he spoke. "Do you think they'll ever regain the harmony of the Three?"

Kurai sighed softly again. "Who knows. Time will tell. The bastard knows everything, but he won't tell no one. One day, I might just go pay Sekundes a visit and ask him directly. I'm tired of his jokes."

Mickey laughed. "You do that. I'll be off. And don't try and sneak off to the Wyvern's Nest without me." His eyes hardened. "I _will_ save my Queen."

Kurai shrugged. "We'll see." As Mickey disappeared, he stepped forward. "Alright, round up, round up. And you guys hiding behind the bend, out too. I could feel your reiatsu for the past hour. Why didn't you show yourself?"

The Vizards minus Hiyori, who had been sent back to get the camping gear, and the group of five teens stepped out, eyeing the group warily. "Ichigo, this your new hang out group?" Shinji asked casually.

The keyblade spirits exchanged looks, then as one vanished, melting away in front of the stunned eyes of the watchers. "Oi, what the hell happened there?!" Renji yelled.

"Forgot us already have you?" Sora grinned at the redhead, grateful for anything that could divert his attention.

Renji turned to look at him, and his jaw dropped. "What the hell happened to _you, _Sora?!" He was stopped from continuing as a long mane of orange hair streaked past his face, Orihime already pressing her hands to her hairpins.

"_Souten Kisshun, watashi wa kyozetsu suru!_" (Returning Shield of the Twin Skies, I reject!)

Two spirits flew out, taking with them some of the spokes of the snowflake patterened hairpins. As they flew, they formed a golden thread, which they merged by crossing in the air. From the point of contact, a thin orange membrane filled out, making a dome of sorts as the two Shun Shun Rika crossed again, closing off the membrane. One of them, a small female wearing a Chinese cheongsam with a huge hat-like covering from her head downwards, spreading out to form wings, flew to the other side, as the other female, with a topknot and dressed in a short red robe, turned to the dome and focused on Sora, who was trapped inside.

"He-hey! Ichigo, what's going on?" Sora's eyes flew to the shinigami, who made no move to stop Orihime.

"Calm down, Sora. I forgot, we beat you up pretty badly. I wonder why none of them noticed when they came through Riku's portal?" Ichigo grinned. "Orihime here'll have you fixed up in no time. Her technique reverses time itself." His grin grew wider at the look on the Wielder's faces at his announcement. "In other words, she isn't healing you; she's making you never get injured in the first place."

Roxas whistled in Sora's head. "Wo-ow. Y'know, we have a holy hell of new discoveries here. We did NOT find out anything as extreme as these in any other world, let me tell you that."

Kurai snapped his fingers, and everyone's attention was turned to him, including the Vizard who had just been rounding the bend, a mound of bags on her back. "…TENSHI?!"

Hiyori was pointing at Kurai, her eyes and mouth wide open.

* * *

Nice long one to keep you guys occupied. Hope you guys like it! Pseudo-daemonum, go easy on me, please! .:Sweatdrop laughter:. Read and review!


	36. The Gathering

Monthly updates seem to be cutting it... Less pressure on me, so I can work on 'em longer. 'Course, the quality's still going downhill in my book... Gah. I don't know why, but i just can't seem to be able to sit down and write properly. This time last year the updates were coming weekly. Bleh, gah and meh. I've got the IDEAS, just no the MOTIVATION. This sucks. Still, I ain't giving up.

**To my reviewers**  
RockCityRockStar: How are you confused? Elaborate. Or better yet, post in my forum. It's getting lonely. xD  
Caged Bird in Demon Arms: Oh, we love a good cliffy. Not as much as we'd like to throttle the author, but we DO like 'em. :Grin: The reason's pretty trivial though. You'll see.  
Taeniaea: Thanks!  
Scorch406: You should catch up in Bleach! T.T You're missing out on a lot of the depth of the series, which I used to my advantage in the fic...  
Pseudo-daemonum: Now why couldn't you have come in the earlier parts of the story? I needed a good critic. My answer's below:

Well, the main reason I chose Oathgiver was because it contrasts with Oathkeeper. One gives an oath to the other to keep. I was hoping to keep Oath at any case, for the two Oaths. Maybe if you can give me another word for 'Giver'?

Kurai... Well, yes, he's incredibly powerful. But the main reason he hasn't made a solo move before was because of the dragon within him. It could go free at any moment, and if it did, and Kurai didn't manage to get control over it in time, it can wreck enough havoc that the worlds won't be the same again. Put it this way: Supressing the dragon with around 30 percent power, using 3 percent power to ward off Yamamoto's flames of Ryuujin Jakka, Kurai can still beat the old Captain-Commander of the Shinigami with less than 30 percent power. That leaves him at more than 30 percent power to take on anyone else who would be fighting him, WHILE they have to hold back Yamamoto's flames as well if they're fighting in the same area. The comparism there is huge: Roughly 3 percent is needed to hold back the flames of the strongest zanpakutou in Soul Society, while 30 percent is needed to hold back the dragon in his head. The 30 percent needed to beat off Yamamoto is the old guy's experience and kidou usage, which Kurai has to counter. Of course, those are just estimates: On a good day, it can be all over so fast Yamamoto can't blink, while on a bad day, the old guy can still whip Kurai's behind.

There's also another major reason Kurai doesn't act, which will also be explained. If you want to know beforehand, I can PM it to you.

Now, last of your issues. Yes, they have number superiority, but there's one issue about the keblade spirits I'll be detailing later, plus, look at the bad guys of other shiz. Number superiority usually gets you dead. xD Not that that'll be happening to our heroes (and heroines), but still, what they're going up against is SO bad that you'll have to read it to believe it. xD

Hope that was a good enough counter-argument. As for the enemy, you can see a small sample of what they'll be going up against this chappie. Oh, and to avoid lengthening my chapters with these kind of things in the future, I'll be posting them in the forum I have for KB. Just go to my profile, and click the MyForums link. You'll see it, it's the only forum I've got. xD

I'm sure some of you had the same questions as Pseudo-dono, and I hope I managed to answer them for you as well. So with that done, on with the chappie!

* * *

"TENSHI!"

Kurai's mouth curled upwards. "Yo, Hiyori."

A sandal flew at high speed at his head, which he caught easily. "Woah there, calm down you little monkey. I can see why you're called Saru." (A/N: Saru is Japanese for Monkey)

A huge blast of reiatsu hammered the people still next to the cliff face, which Kurai countered by snapping his fingers. His own aura blasted outwards, his black wings sprouting again, spreading wide. "Nuh-uh. Not here."

As the pillar of black reiatsu surrounding Hiyori faded away, it revealed the mask she wore on her face. Although it wasn't the same as Ichigo's Vizard mask, it bore the same white background, was made out of the same materials, and the gold eyes that glared at the Fallen Angel were strikingly similar to Ichigo's own when he summoned his mask. A horn-like protrusion extended over her forehead, and a small spike popped out under her chin, almost like a solid goatee of sorts. Black markings formed a crown on her head just under the horn, completing the Vizard mask. The sound of a growl filled the mountain top, as her narrow golden eyes focused on the angel, her zanpakutou drawn, feet and calves tensed to pounce.

A blast of gunfire above them caused the reiatsu flare to dim a bit as Hiyori looked up in surprise, the rest of the group mirroring her. Their eyes widened as they saw Leo spinning through the air in Loaded Form, slamming into the cliff face with enough force to dislodge a miniature avalanche which Kurai, raising a hand, stopped in mid-fall.

"Gangway!"

Leo came skidding down the mountain, blasting off shots that countered red beams of energy that streaked across the early morning sky, some missing him completely. Just before he hit the ground, which was conveniently cleared for him by the group, he pointed all his guns downwards, blasting them off in a volley that slowed his descent enough for it to not break bones.

Riku sighed, smacking a hand to his forehead. "Typical." He snapped his fingers, and a beam of darkness shot out from his outstretched hand, flying through the air to slam into the cliff face. Leo grabbed the beam, using it as a pivot to spin back up, landing neatly on it.

"Thanks, Riku!" he shouted. Then he turned and leapt off, bullets burning the air around him as he fired off his guns. "Two Privarion on my tail! I dunno where the last one went though…"

Kurai grinned. "Two? Nice… I'll take one. The rest of you, take the other." He pushed down with his wings, a mighty draft pushing him off the ground smoothly. Betrayal flashed, and a howling black arc pushed off, blaring through the sky to slice neatly through another red beam.

"So those beams were Cero beams…?" Sora ventured.

Orihime nodded, summoning the Shun Shun Rika back to her. "You're Sora-kun? Rukia-san has been telling us about you dwellers of another world." She cocked her head to one side, smiling softly. "Nice to meet you!"

Ishida coughed once, pushing his glasses up the brink of his nose. "Inuoe-san! We don't have time! There's still one more Privarion Espada left! Speaking of which, was that Cirucci you were fighting just now, Sora-kun? And where did those five people go?"

Chad remained silent, while Renji and Rukia were staring at the

Ichigo grinned. "Leave the talking for later. Right now, we have some fish to fry."

"Ichigo."

The orange-haired shinigami turned around in surprise as he heard Hiyori call his name. "Yeah?" A geta (A/N: Traditional Japanese wooden sandals) smashed his face in, as the enraged Vizard leapt on him, the mask still on her face as her golden eyes bore into his.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU KNEW TENSHI?!" she yelled at him, making the other Vizard sweat-drop. "YOU BASTARD, ICHIGO!"

"I doubt Ichigo-kun would've told you, since we never asked." Rose stepped between them, holding Hiyori away with ease as she struggled against him, with shouts and yells of 'Lemme at him!' and the like. "Calm down now, Hiyori. Or I'll have Hachi trap you in his barrier." That shut the smallest Vizard up, but it didn't make her any less angry as she continued to fume silently.

Ichigo held his hands up in self-defence. "Hey, I didn't know you guys knew Kurai! How did you guys know him anyways?"

"Ichigo, remember the Hollow Influx? Five hundred years ago? Which Tenshi Kurai helped in driving off?" Kensei asked. "We were… part of the Gotei 13 back then. Shinigami. He was a… charming person."

"Charming as in…?" Rukia asked suspiciously.

"As in a flirt." Lisa didn't seem to care much about the proceedings, reading a book that she had somehow conjured from nowhere. But she was blunt, not beating around the bush. "Hitting on every single female member there was, including the Captains."

"Except for one." Shinji was grinning widely, but quailed as the furious Vizard turned to him. "Now now, Hiyori, just calm down…"

"SHUT UP, SHINJI!"

"Hey, if you guys are done reminiscing, could you lend a hand?" Leo's voice came from above them, and they looked up again. The teen was locking barrels with an Arrancar, released, who resembled a golem, huge and with a body that seemed to be made entirely out of the Hollow mask material. His Hollow hole was located on his head, just to the left of his mouth, which was grinning widely.

"Is that all you got, little man?!" A ball of energy appeared in the hole, while another appeared before his mouth.

Leo swore. "Ah hell no." Pushing away with his guns, he fired a point blank blast at the Privarion Espada's stomach, which glanced off without a mark. "Dammit!"

As Sora summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion to his hands, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he looked up at the face of the Captain of the Fifth Division, grinning down at him. "Where d'you think you're going, Sora?"

"I'm gonna go help Leo, what else?" he replied. He pointed up at where Leo was firing a salvo of bullets, then his jaw dropped as the Privarion Espada was diced into bite-sized pieces by a midget. "…Ichigo, what just happened?"

Ichigo laughed, but the reply didn't come from him, rather, it came from the group of Vizard standing to one side. "This is the power of the Vizard." As Sora turned to look at them, Hiroyi landed, spitting on the ground next to her. "Is that all?! I'm not done venting yet!"

As she turned to return his gaze, he felt the massive blast of reiatsu emanating from her as her golden eyes narrowed. "Whatcha looking at?!" Sora backed off quickly, shaking his head. "Nothing."

Leo floated down gently, the clink of metal on stone sounding as he landed. Seconds later, a huge explosion rocked the islands as Kurai appeared out of nowhere next to them, grinning. "Still got it." He laughed as he gazed at the sun as it shone tiredly over the seas. "And just in time for breakfast."

"What about the other one?" Leo asked.

"I can't feel his reiatsu. Chances are he's in Hueco Mundo already, telling Aizen about the situation here. He won't dare attack again though, that's for sure. But he's getting incredibly powerful. A little lost bird told me he's got more than a thousand Arrancar now, and the former Espada you guys fought have been demoted, with new Espada, stronger than them, taking their place. All of Vasto Lorde level or above."

The assembled people all gasped, and a low oath sounded in the back of Sora's mind. "Y'telling me that those guys we fought in Soul Society weren't the best of them?"

Kurai nodded. "Yeah. With the possible exception of Ulquiorra, those Espada you fought were made from Adjuchas level Hollows. They're the mid-level Hollows, who are stronger than Menos Grande, but are weaker than Vasto Lorde. You saw that thing we fought back in Soul Society? Adjuchas are nothing compared to them. If Aizen had sic'ed ten of 'em on us, it'd be over."

Kairi shuddered slightly, and Sora unconsciously placed an arm comfortingly around her, while she just as unconsciously leant into him, sighing slightly, her eyes wide as they gazed at Kurai. Riku grinned from the shade of the cliff where he was still watching them. "Finally."

Rukia and Ichigo were very determinedly not looking at the two, while Orihime was sneaking glances at Ichigo, unaware of Ishida doing the same to her. Kurai grinned in his head as he watched the group before him, the Vizard standing bored to one side. "Couples." He winked at Shinji, who grinned back.

"Right!" he clapped his hands. "C'mon, quit the gooey mushy stuff for now. We need a mission debrief. Leo, scout. The rest of you, come in closer, except for you, Hiyori. Stay within earshot, but as far away from me as you can." The evil smile on Kurai's grin never faltered as he caught yet another of the seemingly endless supply of geta that Hiyori had.

"TENSHI!"

* * *

"So Aizen's army is getting bigger, eh?" Ichigo muttered. He fingered his chin. "That's never good."

Rukia was busy jotting down notes in her notebook. "How many was it again, Kurai? As close as you can get?" Her blue eyes flashed at him as he replied, "Around a thousand, give or take a hundred." Writing down the figures in her book, she looked up at him again. "How did you find out?"

Kurai shrugged. "Simple interrogation. That guy just now? The one I killed? Yeah. He was Aaroniero." He glanced at Rukia, who had stiffened.

"I… I killed him! I swear I kill him when I was in Hueco Mundo!" Her hand, clutching her pencil, was gripping it so hard the wood was straining, nearly breaking. "I swear I killed him!"

Ichigo gripped her shoulder. "Calm down, Rukia." He turned to look at the angel. "I thought it was strange Nnoitra appeared in Soul Society, when I thought Zaraki killed him. I thought it was just a co-incidence; he was never killed, hard to believe though it is." His hazel eyes narrowed. "And you say he was an Espada, but the reiatsu I felt was that of a Privarion, the signature at least."

Kurai nodded. "Like I said, they've all been demoted. The guys you fought with were most likely the previous Privarion Espada, the first generation, I guess you can say. The guys you're familiar with, Ulquiorra, Grimmyjow, Aaroniero, these are the second generation. Now, Aizen's got his hands on a third. I wonder how he got the Hougyouku back to full power again though."

Ichigo's eyes widened at the news, as did Rukia's and Orihime's. The Vizard fidgeted restlessly. "What do you mean, Kurai-kun?" Hachigen asked.

"I mean exactly what I said. Remember? Ten Vasto Lorde can destroy Soul Society. Now, he has ten Espada, Arrancar, all made from Vasto Lorde." Kurai's eyes were dark as he finally divulged his information.

Everyone was still, even Sora, Riku and Kairi, who had only seen a Vasto Lorde once, and who had not been around to witness Aizen's power. Riku slammed his fist into the cliff wall. "Whatever it is, we can't let him go unchecked. But Kurai, we have a mission, from the King! We can't very well go careening off to help Soul Society now, who knows what kind of trouble the Queen may be in…"

Kurai nodded curtly. "I thought you might say that. But the King's received a ransom letter from the kidnapper." His eyes narrowed slightly. "A fortnight. That's all we have."

Riku noticed that he didn't state the terms of ransom, but kept silent. 'Dawn, d'you know what he got?' There was a silence, then, _'Maybe.'_ Riku dropped it.

Sora scratched his head slightly. "So… we have a fortnight to beat someone who has complete hypnosis over anyone who sees him release his zanpakutou, who has ten incredibly powerful warriors under his control and who is hell bent on destroying Soul Society. Piece of cake, right?"

Kairi giggled slightly, then both their eyes widened as they noticed how close they were to each other. Sora removed his hand as though he had laid it on a hot piece of metal, missing the slight glint of tears in Kairi's eyes as he did so.

'He hates me… he really hates me…' Kairi thought as she continued to look in Sora's direction, while he steadfastly looked in the other direction.

'I can't… I can't let her get hurt… I love her; I can't let her walk straight into danger!' Dimly, he registered in his mind that he had said he loved her, and a small pang in his heart reminded him that she had said that she loved him back in the Secret Place.

In the privacy of their heads, locked in their own world, Roxas and Namine's faces were clouded with worry.

"Sora…"

"Kairi…"

Kurai frowned. 'This is bad. I wonder what the hell the blockhead said…?'

* * *

"You mean Soul Society has a keyhole as well?" Sora asked. The group had returned to their respective resting places: The Vizard had set up camp on the mountaintop while Ichigo and the team had returned to Soul Society, the Karakura teens visiting the islands while Sora and his sister were bunked down at Riku's. The excitement of the day had made him forget about the death of his mother, but it came back to him full force as he lay on the floor next to Riku's hammock, crying silent tears as he hugged his sister tight.

"Every world has a keyhole. But I think in this case, the keyhole isn't in Soul Society, but down in Hueco Mundo. Which means that to lock the world, we'll have to beat Aizen. And the Espada, naturally." Kurai had spent the night scouring the island, Leo at his side, the teen using his unique skill of darkness manipulation to make people think that all last night was a nightmare. It involved playing around with feathers on Kurai's part too, as though an angel had driven the darkness away, and it worked, somewhat. Ichigo had promised that when they woke up the next day, all the damage would be restored, courtesy of Soul Society.

Sora gritted his teeth. "This Aizen guy, can't you take him on yourself? I'm pretty sure you're powerful enough."

Kurai shrugged. "I might be able to. Chances are I'd win. But the road to becoming a true Wielder is hard and long. I'm not here as your bodyguard, more as a teacher of sorts." He grinned. "Besides, it wouldn't be fun if I hogged all the action now will it?"

Riku muttered something about Kurai already hogging a lot of limelight, and the angel laughed. "If it'll make you happy, I'll let you guys take on a Vasto Lorde?"

Sora and Riku look at each other for a moment, then looked back at him. "We'll pass." They gave each other high fives.

Kairi smiled from the side where she was watching them, but her eyes never strayed far from Sora. The two had been awkward around each other, despite what they knew. Namine and Roxas had been pestering their others since they woke up, but Sora was adamant that even if he should die, he wouldn't drag Kairi into danger, and Kairi was too scared of trying again.

'_Dammit Nam, this is SO frustrating!'_ Roxas cried out telepathically, knowing Namine could hear him. _'You'd think they're FIGURE it out! ARGH!'_ Namine remained silent, but Roxas could sense her agreement.

"So do we fight in this Hueco Mundo place, or in Soul Society?" Riku asked.

"It would depend." Kurai's eyes gazed up at the blue sky. "If Aizen decides to bring the war to us, then it'll most probably be in Soul Society. But if the Gotei 13 decide to forsake home ground and instead press the initiative, it'd be in Hueco Mundo. Finally, if what I suspect is true, the battle will be held in Karakura City."

"Where's that?" Kairi asked.

"It's our home." The three of them turned around to see Orihime, Ishida and Chad walking towards them where they lay on the beach. The orange haired woman smiled sadly. "Or was, until we all died."

"Orihime! I forgot to thank you for, y'know, last night. Healing me." Sora scratched the back of his head as he did so, grinning goofily. "Thanks!"

"Oh, no problem, Sora-kun. It was my pleasure. And I've been hearing tales of your powers and abilities from Abarai-kun and Kuchiki-san, so it's really no problem." The orange haired girl bowed at him slightly, which he awkwardly returned.

Ishida nodded. "I'm interested to see the Bankai of two non-shinigami. As a Quincy, to know that such a thing exists would be beneficial."

Chad said nothing for a while, then spoke. "Ichigo's friends…? You three fight well, he says. I'd like to see it one day."

Sora nodded. "One day, you just might be able to. You too… Ishida… was it?

Ishida nodded. "My name is Ishida Uryuu, as Ichigo told you last night. Ishida is my last name, just as Yasutora and Orihime are the last names of my companions."

Kurai laughed. "Enough with the introductions. Leo's about to drop in. Incoming in one… two… three."

Right on cue, Leo smashed into the ground next to them, creating a crater in the soft sand. The teen wasn't in a Form, so he was dressed in his normal black clothing, but the keyblade in his right hand glowed with an unearthly black light. "Guys, I found something on the fringe of the Islands!" He held out his hand, and the group clustered around to see what he found. Kurai's eyes widened as he saw the feather of stone.

"Wyvern!"

* * *

"Dragon-like creatures, with only one pair of wings and no forearms. You can say that their forearms ARE their wings and vice-versa though. They're very powerful, able to fight on the level of a dragon. Pretty much the same thing as an anti-thesis to us dragons." Kurai passed his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. "Since it's come to wyverns on the Destiny Islands, I suppose I'd better tell you."

Sora was immediately on his guard. "Tell us… what…?"

Kurai shrugged. "I've found where they're holding the Queen. Already have for a while now."

"YOU WHAT?! WHERE?!" Sora, Riku and Kairi yelled together. Sora continued, "Then what're we doing here?! Let's go!"

Kurai held up a hand. "Hold your horses, Sora. We can't leave things unfinished. And like I said, we have a fortnight. We'll clean up this mess, then we're saving Minnie." His face darkened. "Plus, that place they've got her, it ain't a good place. At all. As in, completely bad."

Riku nodded. "I think that's the best way too. I don't like the sound of the wyverns." He looked over at the group of teens who had been listening to them silently. "If we beat this Aizen guy for you, will you and Soul Society help us?"

Orihime, Ishida and Chad exchanged looks. "We can't say for Soul Society, but if you don't think we'd hinder you, then we'd be glad to help." Orihime smiled. "Besides, it's the least we can do after hearing of what you've done for Soul Society." Ishida nodded. "The Fallen Angel has been heard of even among the Quincy legends. It would be an honour to fight beside you." Chad said nothing, but he nodded, once.

Riku nodded back. "Right. That'll make things easier. I trust you guys know how powerful a dragon is?"

Orihime and Chad thought for a while, then shook their heads, but Ishida nodded, a dark look on his face. "Dragons… Immensely powerful creatures of myth, and in Quincy legends, the bane of Hollows."

Kurai laughed. "You guys've heard of that? I guess things in Soul Society get leaked out from time to time then, eh?"

Ishida nodded. "The Hollow Influx… Who in the Quincy wouldn't have heard about it? You have many names, Tenshi-kun. Fallen Angel, Dragonlord, Blademaster… The tale of how the Dragonlord called upon the flames of hell in Soul Society is well known among us Quincy, not just the shinigami."

"I didn't choose for 'em you know. Of them all, the only one I take for myself is the Fallen Angel, but the dragons have submitted to me, and I haven't been beaten in swordplay yet." Kurai gave an embarrassed laugh. "It's not my fault no one else's trained enough."

Sora punched Kurai's shoulder. "Not all of us have had centuries of experience, Kurai." He laughed. "Nor do we have a dragon, angel wings, or happen to be ex-Wielders."

Kurai's eyes narrowed again as he looked at Sora. "Sora, I forgot to tell you. Somehow, the dragon's gotten outta me and into you. As I said, how, I dunno. But now that it's outta me, I think I may have a chance to beat it completely, and erase it from existence."

Sora's eyes widened. "Erase it… from existence…?" He frowned. "That sounds bad…"

"Yeah, it is." Kurai nodded. "It's not something I do often. But if I have to, I will." His face was grim, and there was no laughing tone in his voice. "It's serious, this erasing thing. Irreversible. Even if I went down to Hell, there's nothing I can do to get 'em back."

Kairi had a hand to her mouth in horror and Riku was looking discomforted, while the three new friends they had made were looking at Kurai in awe. Orihime suddenly seemed to have thought of something to ask. "Tenshi-kun… why are you called a Fallen Angel…?"

Kurai shrugged. "I guess it wouldn't matter to tell you." He glanced over at the Wielders. "You guys wanna hear as well? I don't think I told you."

The three of them came closer, and Kairi decided to ask a question that was on everybody's minds. "Is it… was it… bad…?"

The tall man shrugged. "Depends on which side you were on, plus what your definition of bad is. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But for me, it was a hell of a time, and not in a fun way." He stared up at the sky, a melancholic look on his face. "One HELL of a time…"

* * *

"It's the second day."

"Tell that to someone who doesn't know. We're all hanging on the edge of our seats."

"With the Wielder of the Gold Keybalde out of the way, all we have to worry about is that Tenshi Kurai."

"I don't get it. How is he so powerful? Surely all together, we can beat him?"

"Fallen Angel, Dragonlord, Wielder of Dawn, Bladmaster, Rift-tamer, Spirit Warrior of Blood, Gatekeeper of Five Gates, the only user of Hiton and Kageton... If YOU want to fight him, go ahead, but don't invite me to the party of death. And don't call me Shirley."

"He said 'Surely'. As in, 'Sure it's good' and '-ly'."

"It was a joke! Sheesh. Even I know that."

"Hey, you sure the rodent's gonna accept the ransom?"

"Positive. These guys, they'll do anything to get the one they love back."

"Love! Ha! Useless emotion that one. Why bother with it?"

"Don't mock it. Love can be a powerful force. But we can beat it. Easily."

"But you seem anxious, somehow."

"The wyverns. They said that they smelled a dragon near the Nest. Tenshi."

"You seem certain."

"I am. Why else would a lone dragon venture near the very breeding place of their nemesis? I say Tenshi did a little recon before the storming. In which case, I have a nice little surprise in store for him."

"You seem quiet today."

"…Is it a crime?"

"We're working together. For now. This Tenshi, we need your Espada."

"You have them." Aizen smiled. "For now."

* * *

I wonder which of those people talking are who? It'll be interesting to find out... Won't it? :Evil Grin: Ciaosu, and read and review!


	37. Preparations

Monthly updates seem to suit me for now. Maybe I'll keep this up, but if I can get some inspiration from somewhere, then I might be able to get back to fornightly updates, maybe even weekly updates. xD

**To my reviewers:**  
Caged Bird in Demon Arms: Read the chapter again, I'm sure I pointed it out. xD As for whether they'll get together... No comment. :Grin:  
Taeniaea: Thanks!  
Pseudo-daemonum: I don't think I'm gonna worry _too_ much about his name. Why? I have my reasons. I understand your point, and they're all valid. Sora and Kairi are going through a teenage phase right now. It's only natural that Sora's block-headedness decide to come through at the worst points. Character depth is incredibly important, I understand, but the Bleach characters need none of my own accord; Kubo did a good job with them, and I'm only taking his characters for my purposes. Which reminds me, I haven't put a disclaimer up for a few chapters. Mmight do so this chapter. And I WILL continue this story. By my name. xD  
Scorch406: Darn you read fast. xD They're gonna be some of the toughest fights Sora and Co. have eveer seen, since they're utterly ruthless. Xemnas'll seem like nothing compared to them. As for who they're speaking to, Sora and Co.'ve met at least one before. Think back and you'll see what I mean.  
RockCityRoadStar: Long? xD Thanks for that, but I'm nothing compared to some others on . It's my dream to reach their level. I'll be updating monthly, or close to that, so it might take a while, compared to the speed of my updates last year. Sorry!  
BlackChaos105: Oh, things are heating up. Or at least, they will be soon. :Evil grin:  
Gamergirl4567: Heh, thanks! Hope you like this chapter!

Well, with that, I invite you guys to read the longest chapter I've written so far! Hope you guys like it! Oh, and this time, I'll be inserting random Author Notes (A/N) that mostly relate to Japanese expressions or phrases, since Kurai and Co. are mostly Japanese in origin, as opposed to the American-ness of Sora and HIS Co.

* * *

  
"Did you know? Every world is governed by angels." Kurai looked up at the sky, his silver eyes misted with memories. "Every world, and then some. In fact, they are the same angels everywhere. You could say that every world is linked by the same sky, when you looked up at the sky. One sky, one destiny." Sora and Kairi looked at each other again, missing each other's glance by milliseconds. "And in that sky, the angels dwell. Remember what I told you? Last time? You three weren't there when I last told the story, Inoue, Uryuu, Yasutora, but you might've heard of the Castle of Blood?"

The three of them nodded, and Ishida spoke up. "That castle… It's out of Karakura, but we've all heard of it. When was it…? Five hundred years ago? Legends say that there were screams of unknown creatures, and no one dared ventured. Quincy tales told of an immense shockwave of reiatsu blasting out of the castle, so strong that no one, not even shinigami could get close. Nearby Hollows were evaporated instantly, and the screams were so piercing that even the living were affected. In fact, come to think of it, I think it could be what affected Karakura Town so much, how so many spiritual events seem to be drawn there."

Kurai chuckled. "So I was the cause of Aizen's betrayal? Nah, I'm kidding, that guy's slippery as a snake; I bet he planned it out centuries ahead. Anyways, I had a battle there, with some of my friends."

Orihime's eyes were wide. "Your… friends? Then they must be as powerful as Tenshi-kun! Imagine… a group of you… You could rule the world!" She was staring off into space, when Ishida clocked her gently on the side of her head. "_Ittai!_ (A/N: Japanese for Ouch. You'll be seeing this a lot. Memorize it.) What was that for, Ishida-kun?!"

Ishida said nothing, but his eyes were on Kurai, whose eyes in turn were fixed on Orihime. "My friends…" Kurai started, a sad smile on his face, "…are dead." He smiled again. "Have been for a while now… Might be around five centuries if I counted."

Orihime's eyes widened again, this time in horror. "No… I'm… I'm so… _Gomen nasai!_ (A/N: I'm sorry. Kinda formal, usually only _Gomen_ is used, or _Sumimasen_.)" She bowed frantically, tears starting to leak out.

Kurai cocked his head to one side, bemused. "Eh…? Inoue, why so flustered? It's alright, I had a few centuries to come to terms with it."

Orihime shook her head. "It's not that, but I couldn't bear the thought of the ones I love being dead…" She looked up at him, her tears shining. "Are they in Soul Society…?"

Ishida shook his head. "According to ancient Quincy legend, there are times when the world is in danger, some warriors known as Wielders will come. Shinigami are almost limited to Nippon, while we Quincy are actually German in origin. Many other areas have their own defenders, but Wielders take care of world as a whole. Plus, they don't fight Hollows or other such creatures, they fight beings known as Heartless. What they are and what they do not even we know. But this we do know: Allowed to run rampant, the world as we know it will…"

"…Be destroyed." Kurai finished for him. "Correct, Uryuu. Souken taught you well." He glanced back up at the sky. "It's a very long story, but I won't elaborate here. Just know this, Inoue. When a Wielder dies, he or she is sent directly to Kingdom Hearts, the moon of hearts where all hearts are. Not to Soul Society. Anyways, like I said, every world is governed by angels, and are linked by the sky. This sky, as you can see if you were to enter space, is infinite, continuing across all the worlds, joining and merging all the worlds into one universe. In this sky the angels dwell. They aren't all as powerful as me when it comes to fighting, to be honest, since I DO have a dragon inside me, or should I say had, while I also used to be a Wielder. However, among these angels are some incredibly skilled warriors, one of which can tear a world in two with a single slash. Not someone I'd like to cross." He grinned at their shocked faces, especially on Sora, Kairi and Riku, who knew how large a world could be.

"You're joking…" muttered Riku.

Kurai grinned widely. "I assure you I'm not. But he's the Right Hand of Heaven, and he wouldn't do something like that unless needed. Anyways, the Lost Seraph was one of them. He's good at fighting, especially with that spear of his. And you guys know I'm the Fallen Angel. There're also the Valkyries, extremely powerful angels that're limited only to girls." He laughed. "We DO have gender equality. Valkyries are on the same level as Seraphs, but they're the elite, the strongest female angels in what we call the Aethersphere. The Fallen Angel is the title given to the strongest angel in the Aethersphere, and the title passes on whenever one is defeated, to the one who defeated him or her. At the moment, I'm the Fallen Angel. Big rep that. Only lately have I got some peace, with the ArchSeraph, the Right Hand of Heaven I've told you about, ordering them to lay off the challengers while we get this big quest done."

"Hey Kurai, if the angels are that powerful, why haven't they stepped in whenever things got out of hand? In fact, when I was fighting Ansem, Xenahort, Sephiroth, where were you guys?" Sora asked.

"Well, we angels have a very strict rule. We never meddle in the affairs of the worlds. In a way, we do govern them, but not in a way that's obvious. You could say we do everything indirectly. I've got special permission from the ArchSeraph for this mission. S'far as I know, I'm the first, and going to be the last angel to ever be this direct in helping. The hordes of Heartless are immense. We angels hold back the main force, so only a trickle can get through to you. And if only a trickle is the amount of Heartless the Wielders have dealt with so far, then think of the full might of the Heartless." Kurai laughed. "It's a pretty hefty job. Luckily, we're pretty good fighters, and even the weakest angel can kick some serious behind. Plus, we angels always have at least one battalion guarding the Wielders. Y'see, we can choose to be invisible if we want to, although invisible isn't the right word. We're just unseen. In a way we ARE invisible, but not at the same time. It's a little hard to describe. When you guys were unconscious, knocked out by a stray blow, why d'you think you've never died, or had your hearts stolen?"

He glanced up at the sky again, his silver eyes following the lazy flight of a seagull that had tentatively returned to the scene of a battle. "But for all the power we have, we're still killable. The numbers of the angels are changing all the time: A surprise force of Invisibles could cut down a whole battalion of angels if they sacrifice their own lives as well, and while Heartless are easy to create, angels are a little harder."

Riku said one word. "How?"

"When anyone but a Wielder dies, they are sent to Soul Society. From there, when they die again, those who are pure of heart are sent to the Aethersphere, where they can choose whether or not to take the initiation test. The test is hard too, not something your average run of the mill guys can take. Heck, half the testers die. And when they do, they're sent back to the worlds they came from, resuming the cycle. That's what happens when angels die too." Kurai explained.

"Everyone but Wielders…?" Kairi asked. "What about you? Weren't you a Wielder?"

Kurai shrugged. "I was a… special case. Apparently, the Lost Seraph, the guy I summoned in the Castle of Blood, was kinda high up in the ranks, like I told you. He came to me, and told me about the Aethersphere. Said he could bend a few rules to get me in there, to defeat the dragon." He chuckled. "He never did tell me why he offered to help me, or why he's risking so much. I think if I'd fail the initiation exam, he would've been demoted to maybe Dominion, or Cherub. In the worst case scenario, he would've been kicked outta the Aethersphere entirely. 'Course, I had no idea 'bout all this back then. I accepted."

"What was the test like?" Sora asked, entirely caught up in Kurai's story.

"Well, it was an interesting test. First of all, and most probably the most important, was the martial prowess of the applicant. With all modesty, I aced that one. We were pitted against about ten Invisibles each that angel scouts, called the Virphuos (A/N: Ver-fu-os), found. With Seraphs watching, we had to take them down. That was the part where most applicants got killed, to be reborn in their respective worlds, or dropped out of fear. Those that were maimed beyond repair were also sent back to their worlds. I got through it relatively unscathed, thanks to my Wielder powers, and passed. The other tests were just basic ones, such as endurance and strategic moves. We were also given small command over a group of Angels, the weakest type of angels, and given patrol in a certain world to eliminate Heartless. Nothing to it, I've been doing that with Kirin and Ruin since ages." He laughed.

Riku, Sora, Kairi, Orihime, Ishida and Chad were all listening intently, suddenly privy to a world that they hadn't been aware existed, one that spanned throughout time and space in the sky above them. "And your powers? When did you get them?" Ishida asked curiously.

"Ah… That's another story. One that I'll get to when I need to. We angels have a certain part of ourselves enhanced about acceptance into the Angelic Legion. It's not exactly random, but it's not choice either. Some people get a massive courage boost; those that were always shy before become the most outspoken angels in the Aethersphere. Others become incredibly smart, while those who were good fighters before become positive powerhouses, and get boosted almost straight into the Seraphim ranks, with females going into the Ophanim ranks. But being a Wielder, I had something that they lacked: Adaptability. Going into so many worlds, learning from them, both fighting styles and new powers, the part that was enhanced for me was my memory and my control over my internal energy, as well as… Oh this is hard to explain…" He fell silent for a while, looking up at the blue sky.

"You know how each world gives you a keychain to stick on your keyblade, Sora? To change its form?" he asked the Wielder of Light, who nodded. "In a way, that gives you powers from that world to use as your own, although your mastery over them was never very good. Me, I get the ability to absorb the very dimensional atmosphere of the world, granting me powers from them based on my own. For example..." He got up and held out his hand to one side, and Umou, the angel zanpakutou, appeared in a flash of white light. "This zanpakutou was formed by the melding of the dimensional atmosphere of Soul Society, mixed with the light I can control, since Betrayal had taken up the darkness."

Umou vanished as he laid it on his back, tip towards the ground, and muttered a single word. "Bankai."

White wings sprouted from his back, the same wings that had appeared when he fought the Vasto Lorde in Soul Society and the dragon-controlled Sora just last night, and directly under them, black wings formed as he summoned Betrayal, then dispersed it, making two pairs, one above the other. "I have many wings. About eight pairs at least, I think. I lost count. Each pair is made of the power I absorb, and each pair corresponds to a power and a sword I gained from each world." He clicked his fingers, and a rift opened, allowing five swords to fall through.

"Angel Lange, the sword of Innocence, bane of the Akuma." He took hold of a sword made entirely of humming blue energy, with the outline of a feather visible in the grip. It vanished in his grasp, and humming wings with feathers made of the exact same energy appeared on his back, above the white pair.

The next sword he grasped was black, with a silver edge, and was an actual double-edged sword instead of the other four single-edged blades in his arsenal. It was large too, almost a claymore, but Kurai held it easily with just one hand. Near the hilt, which was an ornate affair of winding steel, a small groove was cut, and a single white feather rested in it. "Etherios, the sword of Etherion, Endless' end." It vanished as well, and black wings similar to his other pair sprouted underneath the energy wings, but unlike the Fallen Angel wings, they had a silver sheen to them only visible under the sun.

"Fractal Delusion, the sword of the Digimon, illusionary victory." This sword was long and thin, and the blade was made of a metal that seemed to shimmer, making it hard to tell its exact length and width. As Kurai moved it through the air, the light reflecting and refracting off it made it almost impossible to tell where it actually was, and where it will be. It disappeared, melting away in his grasp, until Sora wasn't even sure if there had been a sword in his hand, but it was confirmed when rainbow wings with the same aura of illusion around them appeared under the black wings of Betrayal.

The fourth sword was a strange one, a golden winding blade that wound like a snake through the air, ending in the head of a dragon for the tip, with a gold hilt and grip. "Crimson Sabre, Tao's disperser, the fangs of the Gold Dragon." Golden scaly wings that resembled a dragon's more than an angel's formed between the silver-plated wings of Etherios and the Innocence wings of Angel Lange as the sword disappeared.

The fifth sword resembled a rapier, but the blade, instead of being smooth, was almost like sandpaper or sharkskin, rough and pitted, with a brownish sheen to it. "Dankuu, the Hougu that severs air, suffocating blade." Green wings with a brown edge appeared between the white wings of Umou and the black ones of Betrayal.

The six people were watching in slack-jawed-wide-eyed astonishment. The wings on Kurai's back were in order of Angel Lange, Crimson Sabre, Etherios, Umou, Dankuu, Betrayal and Fractal Delusion. Powers from at least seven sources were present, and the overwhelming sense of strength emanating from the Fallen Angel was enough to take their breath away.

"Holy…" Sora murmured. The other five just nodded.

Kurai rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I've got a couple more wings somewhere, but I don't think I'll be waving 'em around here. Save 'em for the baddies." He clicked his fingers again, and the wings disappeared, forming into seven separate swords floating around him in a circle. Then at a nod from him, they all disappeared, melting into rifts that formed and closed over in an instant. "My ability is to absorb the powers that are present in any world, and manifest them into swords, which in turn gives me some abilities. For example, I can use kidou, as well as jutsu. If need be, I can create Fuzetsu as well."

The three Wielders looked at each other, then back at Kurai. "Overkill." They laughed as they all said the word at the same time, as well as Ishida and Orihime, who had been thinking it. Even Chad had a small smile on his face although the looks on their faces as they tried to imagine what jutsu and Fuzetsu were conflicted with their laughs.

Kurai grinned. "Most of those powers I can only use in their respective worlds, since I draw upon the power of that world. The swords however are a permanent part of that world, that I can draw from my rifts whenever I need them. But that's enough of this. It's supposed to be highly classified anyways, but I doubt you guys'll go telling other people 'bout this." His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, although there was no implication of a threat.

Sora, Kairi, Riku and Orihime saluted smartly. "Yes sir!" Ishida looked torn somewhere between shock and outrage. "The Pride of the Quincy will NEVER do something like that!" Chad remained unmoved, but he placed his hand above his heart. "Promesa (A/N: Spanish for Promise)."

The Fallen Angel's rich laugh rang through the beach. "If you guys say so." Then he grew serious again. "The Vizard are coming." He pointed at the distant mountain after the short statement.

* * *

Instead of the whole team, only Shinji came. He looked supremely bored, but there was a glint in his eye and a tone in his voice that told Sora that he knew and guessed more than everyone except perhaps Kurai. "So, wassup? Got any ideas, Kurai?"

Kurai grinned, a look in his own eye that Sora didn't like. "Plenty. We take the battle to him. We fight in the sands of Hueco Mundo, outside the fortress of Las Noches. There, we will take the Espada, and the three traitors."

The Vizard cocked his head to one side. "Y'think Yama'll like that idea? Last I heard, he was tryin' to spirit Karakura away to Rukongai and t'hold the battle in a copy of the place."

Kurai shrugged. "If he won't come, then I'll have to take on more of the Vasto Espada by myself. At the very least, I'll have to take the Primera down to the Cuarta Espada. Sora, Riku and Kairi aren't nearly as strong as I'd like them to be yet, and you guys can't take more than one Vasto Espada each. In fact, I seriously doubt someone like Hiyori or Mashiro can take even one. They might barely manage one between them. I'm being honest here, Shinji. Hope you don't mind."

Shinji waved his apology aside. "No worries. Honesty's the best policy and all that. Get too carried away and we'd all end up dead. We'll listen t'ya, Kurai. 'Ven Hiyori knows she has limits, though she don't like it."

"Sora, Kairi, c'mere. I wanna talk to you two." Kurai beckoned at the two Wielders. "Over here. I wanna get out of earshot of the others." He looked up at the other people on the beach. "Shinji, I want you to go back to the other Vizard and tell them to prepare for war. Will you join in?"

Shinji nodded, a wide grin on his face. "Gladly, O Fallen One. The debt we owe Kisuke and the debt Aizen owes us ain't settled yet. We'll be there, and we'll have us some _fun_." He bowed slightly and vanished, a ripple of reiatsu that was barely noticeable all he left behind.

"Inoue, Sado. You two go back to Rukongai. I think you'll find that you've been accepted into the Gotei 13, under the 5th Division, now the Division for Spiritually Gifted Souls, SGS. You'll find other guys like you, with strange powers that cannot be classified into Shinigami, Quincy or Hollow. In fact, I think you'll find that they're very familiar." The angel grinned as he said that, then turned to Ishida. "Uryuu, how long and how much will it take to get a return trip to Germany and back with a four day lapse?"

Ishida, surprised, nevertheless answered with his usual unfailing accuracy. "A flight to Germany will take around half a day, give or take twenty minutes. So make it an even week and it'll be good. Why?"

The angel's grin widened. "It's time to get ready. I want you to go to Germany and scout out as many Quincy as you can. You guys originated from there, so a quick reiatsu flare should alert them to your presence. They'll probably be hostile at first, but just tell them I sent you for the Winter War."

"The Winter War?!" Ishida's eyes opened wide behind his spectacles. "So… you're serious…?"

Kurai scratched his head. "No, it might be an elaborate joke, but humour me, Uryuu. Which reminds me. Think you can persuade your old man to come along? He and I have a bit of a history together. Tell him we have an old game to settle."

Ishida managed to recover from his shock and nodded. "Right. So I get a gigai from Urahara and go to Germany? And see if Ryuuken'd like to come along?"

Kurai shook his head. "_Make_ him come along. I don't have time for petty disputes. Just tell him it's from me, and that it's time to finish what we started way back. He'll understand."

Ishida shrugged. "If you say so. But how do you know the Quincy won't kill me straight off the bat? I AM dead after all."

As Sora's eyes flitted from one to the other, uncomprehending, Kurai replied, "I can't be sure. But chances are they won't. If anything, they can feel you're a Quincy as well. That should slow their bow fingers a bit. Plus, you can always shoot their arrows down. In any case, take a Seele Schneider or two along. Those huge ass arrows can double as a sword in a pinch, right? That'll be useful."

Ishida nodded. "Right. I'll get going now. Inoue-san, Sado-kun, I'll be back in a week. Tell Kurosaki-kun that for me, will you?" With that, reiatsu flared up around him as he wrapped reishi, the external spirit particles in the air, around his feet and flung it to his destination, which lay through a gate of darkness that Kurai had conjured, which promptly disappeared as he went through it entirely.

"Germany? Where's that?" Sora asked, confused, and the looks in the eyes of Riku and Kairi showed that they didn't know either. "I've never heard of it…"

Kurai shrugged a little. "Unlike this dimension, where each world is separate in its own little planet, the worlds in mine are all connected on one huge planet, accessible if you only knew where and how to go. Of course, most people don't know. Only a select few do, like me for example. In fact, most worlds actually overlap each other, but each is specialized, and so neither is aware of the other. Technically, Germany is a place in this planet that might have a few reinforcements."

Orihime and Chad looked slightly confused, but reasoned that it had nothing to do with them. "So Kurai-kun, do we go back now?"

Kurai nodded, "Yeah. Here y'go." He snapped his fingers again, and another swirling gate of darkness appeared. "Go ahead. Shinji, you two. I think you'll see that Kisuke's having a bit of a talk with Ichigo. Of course, he shouldn't be in there in the first place, but neither should you. So run along now." He smirked evilly, and Orihime couldn't help but smile as she bowed to him, then she left through the portal with Chad on her heels.

"Ya're an evil man, Kurai." The Vizard said it with a completely straight face.

Kurai bowed, still grinning. "One tries one's best."

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing youse later then, guys'all." Shinji turned to look at the Wielders with a critical eye. "They're strong, Kurai. But they're divided. Not good, old pal. Not good at all. I'd say ya give it to 'em straight, y'know what I'm sayin'?"

Kurai nodded, his grin melting away like it had never been there. "I know, Shinji. I know. I know what to do, or at least, I hope I do. And he'll help too, although he doesn't know it yet."

The Vizard shrugged. "If ya say so, feather boy. 'Neeways, I'm off." He raised his hand above his head, and a sudden rush of power ripped through the beach as Sora looked on with wide eyes, completely immobilized. In Shinji's casually raised hand, shreds of white material started to form, until Shinji was holding a mask that resembled an Egyptian pharaoh's.

"Vizard, assemble. Let's go." Shinji's lips were curved upward at the tips, and with a flourishing pull, he dragged the mask over his face. The power rush stilled for a split second, then exploded outwards, nearly suffocating Sora and Kairi, with Riku leaping forward and shielding them with his body, summoning darkness from the very ground to wrap around them. The Vizard's eyes gleamed gold, and he raised his head to look towards the mountains he had come from, waving his hand in front of his face to banish the mask.

"You could've chosen a more casual way of summoning them, y'know," Kurai said in a conversational tone. "Sora, Riku and Kairi didn't really like that." He laughed. "You three should've gotten used to things like this by now. Ichigo has unrestrained reiatsu, and it's one of the highest natural levels recorded by Soul Society. However, other people have higher reiatsu, even if they aren't natural, but trained. Plus, Shinji here's an ex-captain. With that comes a tendency to show off a bit."

Shinji bowed, mimicking Kurai. "One tries one's best."

The angel slapped him on the back. "Get going now you old fox." He looked around, and the three Wielders suddenly found that silently and without warning, they had been surrounded by the Vizard. "You guys too. You know what to do. To your respective divisions. I'm afraid none of you will be re-instated, but you'll have considerable influence on them. Especially since Kisuke put in a good word for you guys. Most of the mistakes have been cleared up now, although the mountain isn't too happy. But Soifon joined in after Yoruichi said something to her, and even Byakuya's giving the nod, so with a complete majority, with pretty much Yama being the only one not sure, and with the Central 46 still in a state of disarray even after fifty years, he didn't have much of a choice."

Hiyori was starting to fume again. "That old geezer! Even after we've left we kept having to run away, just in case patrolling shinigami found us! And now after so long, he's just gonna say 'Okay, you can come back now'?! Who does he think he is, the Soul King?!"

"Calm down, Hiyori." Hachigen placed a huge hand on the fiery girl's head. "Tempers will get us nowhere. I think we should return, and take stock. It HAS been more than a century, after all."

Shinij grinned and clicked his fingers. "Well, let's go then." He led the way, striding off into the black portal that Orihime and Chad had left through before, the one that led them to Soul Society. Just before stepping through it, he glanced back over his shoulder. "You there. The one with the brown hair. You'd better get your ass back on track; else you ain't gonna like life very much, y'hear me?" Without explaining his cryptic words, he continued into the portal, followed by the Vizard, each who bowed to Kurai as they passed, save Hiyori, who tried to behead him with her geta. Failing and spewing profanities, she left as well, and the portal vanished.

"So… It's just us again." Kurai sighed a little wistfully as he spoke. Then he glanced back at Sora and Kairi, and his eyes were hard, which surprised them both, as well as scaring them a bit. "You two." He pointed at Sora and Kairi. "Come."

He turned and strode away without any further comment. Sora and Kairi, more than a little scared now, glanced at each other, then away, then at Riku, who was doing some very quick thinking and didn't want to be interrupted, then sighed. Sora glanced uneasily over at the Princess. "Well… Coming…?" Kairi nodded, not saying anything, and they followed Kurai, who was by now nearing the fringes of the trees, near where the papou tree stood.

* * *

"What's going on?" Kurai asked, a note of steel in his voice as he glared at the Wielders of Light and Love before him, both refusing to look at each other or at him. "Look, what happened before the dragon took over, Sora?" He turned to Kairi. "Kairi, what happened?"

Silence greeted his words, and the angel's eyes became flints of cold stone. "Oathkeeper. Oblivion. Oathgiver. Eternity. Out. Now." He barked each word almost like a command, and Sora and Kairi started as their keyblade spirits came out, almost unwillingly. But Kurai wasn't finished. "You two as well, Roxas, Namine."

Sora heard a sigh in his head. _'Sorry, Sora. But I don't want to be erased from existence, if you get my meaning.'_ A gold shimmer enveloped him just as a red one surrounded Kairi, and their Nobodies stepped out, immediately moving to stand by each other, their hands clasping.

Kurai stood to his full height, towering above every single one of them. His eyes sought out Kairi's and held them against her will. "Look at me Kairi. _Look at me._" Then as she did, the tall man made a small gesture, and she wasn't there under the papou tree with the others, but was in an empty space, with no one around her. She darted fearful glances around, now terrified. "Kurai…? Kurai?! Kurai! What happened?! Where am I?! KURAI!"

"What happened, Kairi?" Kurai's voice thundered everywhere, yet came from nowhere. She couldn't place where it originated, where it could be next, where it was. It just was. "Tell me. You said Sora didn't love you. When and why was this?"

"I don't know…" She shook her head. "I don't know, Kurai. I don't want to remember it, I don't want to… It hurts, it hurts, Kurai!"

Then a soft hand lay on her shoulder where she was slumped on the ground, and she turned to face the owner of it. Her eyes widened as she beheld the short woman who stood there, with a mass of brown hair that fell just below her shoulders. "Ru… Ru… Ruin…?"

The woman said nothing, but smiled, her eyes twinkled as she did, lighting up the empty space of nothing around her. As she looked around, she saw that she was in the Secret Place, cool rock on her back, with the woman standing next to her, looking at something above her head. Kairi craned her neck back to look at the 'thing', and her eyes brimmed as she saw the woman slowly stroking the crude etching of the exchange of papou fruit between her and Sora.

"It's a beautiful picture, Heir of Love."

Kairi looked back again at the woman, who was now looking at her, and she reached a hand out to try and touch her. To her surprise, the woman moved back, shaking her head sadly. "You cannot touch me, Love. If you do, you will be forced to Kingdom Hearts as well, and that isn't a road for you, not now, not soon."

"How…?" Kairi's eyes were wide.

The woman laughed, a twinkling sound like stars blinking merrily in the night sky. "How? A question many ask. I don't know myself. But Kurai called, and so I came. He visits us often, you know, me and Kirin. An angel can visit Kingdom Hearts and leave as he wishes. He's very dear to us. An angel indeed." She laughed again, then she frowned slightly and bit her lip. "But I'm not sure about the title he uses. Fallen Angel? It just doesn't have that 'ring' to it." She made a face. "But Kirin says it sounds kinda cool. Men!"

Kairi couldn't help but laugh. "Men indeed," she agreed. "Never know what they're thinking." Then she remembered what had happened the night before, and her eyes filled again.

Ruin nodded. "It hurts, doesn't it? I know how you feel; although Oathgiver and Eternity, and even Astaldo insist on saying I had it worse." She frowned again, and Kairi found herself drawn to this woman who wore her expressions and emotions so frankly and without any embarrassment.

With a sudden sob, she launched forward, grabbing the woman around the waist and started to cry, tears that had taken their time to mature inside her, a grief so full and sudden she was overwhelmed and swept along before it.

Ruin cradled her heir, sitting on the warm earth floor, softly stroking her hair as Kairi fell into an exhausted sleep of nothing. Ruin's smile was sad, so sad that it would have wrenched the heart of any who saw her. Oathgiver and Eternity shimmered into existence next to her, and she gave them a questioning look. They nodded, and she replied in kind, before settling contently into the shape of the rock, continuing to stroke the sleeping Princess's hair as Oathgiver and Eternity stood vigil around her, reunited once more.

* * *

Kurai was furious. He had delved into Sora's mind, and seen what had happened, and he was NOT happy, by Odin and Yamamoto, by Yggdrasil and the Guze. What made it even worse for the quailing Sora was that even though he knew Kurai wasn't pleased with him, outwardly, Kurai showed no sign but a slight tightening around his eyes, his face carefully neutral.

"I HAD to, Kurai! I couldn't let her get hurt! If she did, if she got hurt because of me, I don't know if I can take it!" The Wielder of Light tried to justify himself, but deep inside, he could feel already that he was in the wrong. This was soon justified as a sudden force picked him up from behind and spun him around, before slamming his back against a tree, and he found himself staring into Riku's blazing blue eyes.

"You did WHAT, Sora?!" Riku yelled into his best friend's face. His grip tightened, and Sora was in very real danger of being suffocated.

"I didn't want to hurt her! I have the dragon inside me now, Riku! If it were to suddenly go berserk, and I…" he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Riku continued to press Sora into the tree, then he let go and turned away in disgust. "I thought I knew you, Sora. But I guess I don't." His words were spat out onto the sand, and Kurai, watching from a ways off, listened, his face sombre. "The Sora I knew would never have done such a thing. The Sora I knew would've put his friend's life before his own would never have let the dragon go berserk, even if it met his own death. The Sora I knew would NEVER hurt Kairi."

His words struck home, and Sora knew the truth of what the Wielder of Dawn had said. But he was afraid. "But I'm afraid, Riku."

"I trust you." Riku said those three words simply. "Once, I had power, immense power. Yet I used it for the wrong reasons, and you were able to defeat me because you were fighting for what was right. Now, you have power. If you used it for something wrong, then I'm pretty sure I can beat you." He turned back to face Sora, a slight grin on his face. "After all, I AM better than you."

But Sora couldn't smile. All of a sudden, he was confronted with the enormity of what he has said to Kairi, what he had done to the heart of a Princess of Hearts. He buried his face in his hands and moaned. "What do I do…?"

Riku glaned at Kurai, who shrugged. The angel pointed at Kairi, who was passed out on the floor, then at Sora, who still had his head in his hands, and although Riku didn't understand what he meant at first, he soon did as Sora slowly slumped to the ground, out cold as well.

"Well, we're in a bit of a pickle, aren't we?" Kurai muttered.

Riku shot Kurai a look. "You know, you should get that habit of understating things under control."

"One does one's best." Kurai bowed again.

* * *

"Idiot." The single word was spoken with a sense of fond-ness and rebuke, but not at all in fury. "Well, at least this'll let some things run through. Hope Kurai's happy."

The voice was familiar somewhat, but Sora couldn't place it. Come to think of it, where was he? It didn't feel like he was under the papou tree, near the beach where a battle had been fought just last night. Where was Riku, who had in his usual dry way, smacked some sense into him? Where was Kurai, who had guided them for so long?

As he thought of Kurai, the same voice that had spoken gave a dry chuckle. "Ha! So he HAS kept his promise to me. Not that I couldn't see. Ruin kept going on and on about how Oathgiver and Eternity had been passed on to her heir, but Lorenze and Metor said you weren't for them."

The words made Sora look up sharply, and the cerulean eyes of the Wielder of Light widened as he gazed at armoured figure standing above him. "Oh? So you're really alive? That's good." The figure laughed, reaching down and offering him his hand. "C'mon, let's get you up."

As Sora took the offered hand, he felt a surge of light pulse once, and energy rippled through his very being. The man grunted once, and reached up to take his helmet off. His brown hair was ruffled and his eyes were as blue as Sora's, but there was a notable difference: Centuries of experience lined his face, and there was a hard set to the otherwise childish-looking face that told of the harsh decisions he had been forced to make. All in all, it was both like and unlike Sora.

"Who… are you…? Sora asked fearfully, feeling the first fingers of panic on his spine. He glanced around, but saw that he was in a black place, completely devoid of light except for a small alcove surrounding the man, and in essence, himself, as he was standing so close.

"Man, you're really slow, y'know?" The man rubbed the back of his head in a kind of nervous gesture, startlingly like Sora. "Isn't it obvious? I'm Kirin, Heir of Light. It's been a long time."

Sora cocked his head to one side, his eyes widening even more. "Ki… Kirin?!" He leapt to his feet and stumbled backwards into the darkness, shrinking away from the armoured man.

Kirin looked disconcerted. "Hey, calm down, I'm not a ghost, jeez." He put a hand to his forehead. "The things I do for Kurai…" he muttered. He knelt down, so that he was more or less on Sora's level. "Look, I came here to have a bit of a talk with you, from Kingdom Hearts. Your little princess is getting something from Ruin, although what it is she ain't saying. Kurai's having a chat to the current Wielder of Dawn. Which leaves you and me."

Sora approached, slowly, warily, his hands ready to summon Oathkeeper and Oblivion in a moment's notice. Kirin threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "Look, just trust me, okay? Caution's all well and good, but it never gets things done."

Sora stepped back into the circle of light Kirin casted around him, trying to see if there was any malice or if it was a trick by some unknown enemy. Kirin sighed.

"Look, Light, I know you're suspicious, and I'm supposed to be dead and all that. But Kurai called me, so I didn't have much of a choice. Ruin says that your little princess, Love, didn't seem surprised at all, so why don'tcha do the same?"

"Well, I DO have random people trying to kill me at very odd times, so I DO have to stay on guard." Sora's reply held the hint of a grin, but his face was serious. "Why did you want to talk to me?"

Kirin's face grew serious. "It's about Love. The Princess, not the actual thing. We Wielders past usually say the Wielded instead of the full title." Sora nodded to show his understanding, and Kirin continued. "Anyways, I'd like to ask you something. What exactly were you thinking when you told Love that?" The way he said it was entirely casual, unlike the vehemence of Riku or the thinly veiled fury of Kurai.

Sora was starting to get tired of this. "I want her to be safe! I don't want her to be hurt; I just want her to stay at the sidelines! Is that so wrong, huh?!"

Kirin waited patiently, no emotion on his young face, then spoke. "To you, no. But to her, it's as bad as saying that you don't trust her."

Sora gaped. "So she wants to be out here risking her neck, fighting for something that not even _I_ understand?" He looked utterly confused. "She actually WANTS to get hurt?"

Kirin slapped his hand to his head. "Tell me," he asked no one in particular. "Was _I_ that dense back when I was young? I bloody well hope _not_." He leant forward slightly, muttering, "Kurai did the right thing when he called me, and not a moment too soon." He fell into silence for a second, then asked the Wielder of Light, "Tell me, Light, have you ever been in a relationship?"

Sora looked dumbfounded for a second, then shook his head. "N… No. Never. I mean, I'm not the kind of guy, y'know what I mean?"

Kirin laughed. "I didn't think I was, and now I have the most beautiful woman in all the worlds as my… well… not _wife_ exactly, but it's a closer kinship than something as physical as that." He smiled softly, and his face was transformed, making him look younger than he was. Then he grew serious again. "Now, I don't know how to be subtle. That's one thing Ruin and Kurai are very good at. So I'll tell it to you straight, no holds barred. You ready?"

Sora nodded again, remembering as he did Shinji's words: _They're strong, Kurai. But they're divided. Not good, old pal. Not good at all. I'd say ya give it to 'em straight, y'know what I'm sayin'?_ _You there. The one with the brown hair. You'd better get your ass back on track; else you ain't gonna like life very much, y'hear me? _

"Love loves you." Kirin was as blunt as he said he'd be. "She wants to be worthy of you, Light. You listening? She doesn't want to be a burden, a piece of cloth thrown to the side when you don't need her anymore. She's the greatest mage among you guys, right? She doesn't think that's good enough. She's the least experienced, the least powerful, and she can only fight properly after getting a power-up of one sort or another, right?"

"Why do I get the feeling you've been through all this before?" Sora commented wryly, to which Kirin grinned and raised his hands in mock ignorance. The Wielder laughed, then his face became thoughtful. "I've never thought of it in that way before, Kirin… Now that you've said it though, I think I know what you mean…"

'_Geez, took you long enough.' _Roxas' familiar voice echoed throughout the nothingness, and the Nobody appeared out of nowhere beside Sora, settling down with no trace of nervousness or embarrassment whatsoever. "Hey. So you're Kirin? You look a lot like Sora and Oathgiver."

Kirin winced. "I've been getting no end of it from Kurai and Ruin. Apparently, it's _funny_."

Sora laughed, then his face became thoughtful again. "Well, I guess I should have a talk with her…"

Roxas twacked him soundly on the back of his head. "Not a talk. Just go ahead and tell her you love her, then it's training time."

Kirin was grinning. "Couldn't have put it better myself." He surveyed the Nobody with a critical eye. "Aren't you a Nobody?"

Roxas nodded. "Yeah. Sora's. It's a long story."

"Ah. Well, that explains how you managed to get into the sealed dimension." Kirin laughed. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he added, "And what THAT is… Is a secret."

Sora sighed. "Secrets… That sucks. Well, guess I'll be going then…" Roxas nodded and vanished, and he stood up, glancing around at the darkness surrounding the small halo of light the three of them we sitting in. "Nice place you got here. Don't suppose you could brighten it up? As a good luck omen or something?"

Kirin raised one eyebrow. "Kurai's been rubbing off on you." He laughed. "Might be a good thing though. He's got a way with words." He looked around as well. "Highly classified stuff here, Light. I say no." He grinned impishly. "But… I could _accidentally_ let slip of my control, y'know what I'm saying? Not that you'd be interested in the place though."

A bright flash lit the room for a split second, and Sora saw he hadn't missed much: The room was completely bare of anything, with white walls and no source of light, which he now saw to be emanating calmly and steadily from the ex-Wielder sitting sedately on the floor. If he had taken a few steps more when he had retreated in his initial confrontation with Kirin, his back would've met the wall. There were no doors or windows, no openings, and as Kirin moved his hands in a graceful dance, a white portal appeared out of nowhere next to him. Sora was fascinated; he had only ever seen portals of darkness, light ones were new to him, although he guessed the principle was similar. Nodding farewell at the ex-Wielder, who returned the gesture, he stepped through it, and it closed behind him.

Sora's last thought before he fell into sudden sleep was that had they been in another time and place, they could've become good friends, if only for their shared ability to wield Light.

* * *

"Whadaya think, Kurai?"

Good one there, Kirin. Hope he wakes up with a good head. You were just a little bit blunt though."

"Yeah, you were. And did you have to bring up the past again?"

"Yeah Ruin, what _are_ you exactly? His wife?"

"Sh- Shut up, Kurai!"

"Hahahahaha! I was kidding, I was kidding!"

"_Mou _(A/N: Japanese exclaimation of frustration)_!_ You guys insist on treating me like a kid!"

"Well, you're short enough to be one."

"Kurai, I think that's enough. She's starting to have steam pouring out of her ears."

"I do NOT!"

"Heh… It was a nice little reunion, wasn't it…?"

"…Yeah… We'll miss you, y'know."

"Very much. When will you be coming to join us?"

"What, you want me to _die_, Ruin? How unkind of you! And to think I trusted you!"

"You KNOW I don't mean it that way!"

"When's the ArchSeraph gonna give you the go ahead, Kurai?"

"I don't know, Kirin. I DO have a job to finish here. You saw how they're like, like us in the distant past. I wasn't to guide them. Besides, they'll be facing enemies, and they won't be strong enough. I have to fight."

"What do you think WE did when we were fighting, Kurai? You're going to have to train them sooner or later. If you just coddle them, they won't be able to stand on their own two feet!"

"She's got a point there."

"Well, Sora's got the dragon inside him. I'll travel with them until I destroy it. That'll be the earliest I'll leave them, although I might not. Even then, my duties lie clear. I AM an angel, after all."

"But you were a Wielder first. You have many titles, but to us, you will always be Kurai, our friend from the Fated Islands."

"Yeah… That's what we called it back then, didn't we? Fated Islands… Now it's the Destiny Islands. Sounds like the place won't be letting go of Wielders anytime soon…"

"…Well… We have to go now, Kurai."

"…Yeah. Right. Go on then."

"We…"

"Shut up. You know this was a one-off. Don't go making promises you can't keep. Well, I'd better get back to the kids then. I'll see you, maybe soon, Kirin, Ruin."

"…Yeah…"

"…Right…"

"Don't look so down, guys. I promise you, I'll be there. One last journey, then the Dragonlord departs."

"…I HATE goodbyes!"

"We all do. But they always come. Only with parting can there be meeting. Now, you guys better get along before the ArchSeraph gets pissed at me."

"…See ya then, Kurai."

"Heh… right. See you two, Kirin, Ruin."

* * *

Interesting conversation, isn't it? So, the preparations have started. War is to be joined against the Espada. And they have to be taken down fast, within a fornight, or the Queen... Well, you guys can find out yourself. Even I don't know what I've got in store for you, so be happy I'm as confused as you are! Read and review!


	38. Confession

Now, I'm pretty sure you all are infuriated with the slow pace of the story and the time between my updates. Well, as of now, I can't fix the update speed, but I can sure as hell give the guys a kick in the right place to keep the story going. Hey, I wrote the story, not them. :Insert evil grin here: Anyways, it's the exam time as well, and I'm sacrificing precious time (willingly) to continue this story. :Yet more evil grins:

**To my reviewers:  
**RockCityRoadStar: Hope this chapter will alleviate your boredom. xD For the moment, the month lapse will continue. Sorry! But hey, at least you won't get holdups.  
Caged Bird in Demon Arms: Well, you'd better like it, 'cause I made it up all on the spot. xD I hate planning in advance, takes all the fun out of writing.  
Pseudo-daemonum: Aww c'mon. I want more criticism! Actually, this chapter might give you plenty to whinge about. Go ahead, give me all you got. That's how one improves, no?  
Scorch406: Don't we all? I can't even be bothered opening up my textbooks to study for the exams. Next time, instead of sleeping pills, we should all use school textbooks! Kurai is technically the strongest fighter in all of the worlds. The Right Hand of God mentioned is powerful, more powerful than Kurai, but Kurai has the blend of speed, skill, intelligence and power that makes him such a powerful fighter. That's why although he might not be the most powerful in terms of strength, he's easily the best all-rounder. And poor Sora. THat was one rude wakeup call. xD  
Gamergirl4567: Sorry, but no. Not for a few chapters. I've got a few plans for it, but all in all, I'm going with the flow in my writing. It's more or less like the story's writing itself: There're things in it that I haven't even thought of before that fit so well I now can't imagine this story without them. That's me in a nutshell. xD

Well, now that that's over, let's get on with the fun part: Reading! Hope you guys enjoy the show!

* * *

Sora racked his mind as hard as he could. His gut instinct told him he had messed up, and badly, and that was confirmed by Riku, Roxas and Kurai. Even Kirin had come back from the dead to tell him that. Heck, he knew himself he was wrong, but was it _that_ wrong? But now that he had been assured that yes, it _was_ that wrong, it fell to him to fix things up. Which left him in a dilemma.

Roxas had said that he should just come straight forward and tell Kairi he loved her, then throw her against a wall and start kissing the crap out of her. He very nearly strangled his Nobody at that point. Riku had, after calming himself down, said that a good idea would be to just have a sit down talk. With him hidden out of sight, but watching the proceedings, just to make sure everything went on alright. That earned the silver-haired Wielder a slap on the head by Dawn, who said all he wanted to do was peek. Kurai had merely shrugged and smiled mysteriously. One thing they had all agreed on however, was that the two of them had to kiss.

"Dammit, what d'they want me to do?! It's not _their_ problem, 'course they don't find it hard!" He kicked the sand, his foot making contact with a cunningly hidden stone and causing him to leap around in stubbed agony for a good ten seconds as he held his foot. Cursing a bit, he sat down on the sand, looking out onto the sea he had grown up next to, in which he felt at ease almost as much as on land.

He looked behind him, then to the sides, and seeing no-one, he shrugged and chucked his clothes off, leaving his boxers on, heading to the sea at a dead run and plunging into the freezing water. He looked up in the fading light at the dusk sky, and he wondered about the angels that Kurai had told him about, then around him again, wondering if right now there were a contingent of the winged warriors surrounding him, protecting him from harm. Well, physical pain was something he could live with; mental pain wasn't. He growled under his breath.

Then he suddenly felt his legs being pulled under by an unseen force. Sora panicked a little as he kicked out as hard as he could without success; his brain screaming that there had been no sharks off the coast of the Destiny Islands in the past thousand years, but his legs told him he'd better change that notion now. Suddenly, he felt himself being released, and he spun around, Oathkeeper appearing in a flash in his right hand as Oblivion morphed into his left. His eyes narrowed as he held his breath, he scanned the water, only for them to snap wide open as Kairi, dressed in a bikini and grinning, held Oathgiver at his throat.

Together, they swam back up to the surface, breaking into the air with a mighty combined gasp as they both strove to get air in their lungs while laughing at the same time. For some strange reason, Sora had lost the nervousness he had had when he had been around the Princess recently, and he looked at her without even knowing he was. The dying sun cast blood-red rays of light across the water, shining off the Wielder of Love's hair, deepening the natural ruby hue, while glazing her skin with a blushing radiance.

The colour deepened as Kairi noticed him looking. "Wh… What is it, Sora?" she asked shyly.

Sora started slightly, then shook his head. "Nothing, Kai. Nothing at all."

There was silence for a few seconds as the two Wielders swam back to shore, then stretched out on the sand next to each other, but not touching or making eye contact. All of a sudden, they turned to face each other and said at the same time, "Y'know…"

They blushed and looked away at the same time, then Kairi said, "You go first, Sora."

Sora shook his head. "No, you go first."

Riku, watching with a small grin on his face from nearby, thought, 'Say "I'll race you." Go on… Say it…' Dawn, taking a small peek inside his memories, retreated into her keyblade to laugh her guts out.

* * *

There was silence on the beach for a little while longer, then Sora steeled himself. "Alright then, I'll go first." He reached inside the pocket of his pants, which lay near him, taking hold of the good luck charm Kairi had given him and gripping it firmly, out of sight of the Radiant Princess, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Kairi, I'm sorry. I… I know I haven't been really fair. I… I love you too, Kairi, but… I don't want you to get hurt. If you did, I don't think I could've taken it, and the dragon could get loose. Worse, if the dragon did get loose and I… _killed_ you, I would've asked Riku or Kurai to kill me too, since I couldn't bear it."

Throughout the whole speech, he had kept his eyes tightly shut, and he couldn't see the emotions playing on Kairi's face. Riku had gone from his vantage point, standing on top of the papou tree's branches and looking carefully at the sizes of the fruits it bore, selecting the biggest one and sticking it in his pocket.

"I don't want anything to hurt you, Kairi. My life is less important than yours, my keyblades stay with me to fight for you. If you are a Princess, then I'm your knight. If you're a Queen, then I'm your King. Please, Kairi. I never wanted to hurt you, for you to get hurt. If it did…" He clenched the charm tightly, but delicately at the same time, dispersing most of the force on his own fingers. "I won't rest until I hunt down whoever did it to you."

Kurai, lying on his back on a stretch of cloud just above the Wielders, smiled sadly. He felt something trickle down the side of his face, and surprised, lifted a finger to it, then brought it to his lips. "Salty… Tears…? I didn't think I had any left… Interesting…" he murmured.

Finished, Sora turned slightly away from Kairi, his eyes still closed. _'There, that wasn't so hard, was it?' _Roxas' voice came in his mind. _'Although I must admit, that was corny. 'If you're a Princess I'm your knight'? C'mon, couldn't you come up with something a bit more romantic?'_

'Shut up, Roxas! I'm dying here, y'know?!' Sora shouted at his Nobody, who sniggered, but nevertheless clammed up.

Then he heard a sob, and whipped around to face the Princess, his eyes wide. Kairi's face was positively glowing, tears streaming down her face as she smiled, a happy smile that lit up her face even further. She lunged forward, faster than even Ichigo could shunpo in Bankai, grabbing Sora tightly around the waist as she started to sob into his shoulder. "Sora!" was the only word she could get out.

Sora awkwardly placed his hands around her. Suddenly, she seemed so fragile, so thin and delicate that he was afraid of touching her, in case he shattered that beauty by the roughness of his hands. "Shh… Don't cry, Kai… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

At that, Kairi pulled back slightly and made a face, then cocked him gently on the head. "Dummy."

The Wielder of Light rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I guess I am, right?" he muttered sheepishly.

Kairi grinned again, nodding, then snuggled up to Sora, whose whole body tensed, then relaxed. She giggled. "You're gonna have to take some time to get used to this."

Sora nodded, then cleared his throat. "So… I uh… guess we're… you know… right?"

Kairi giggled again. "For someone so brave when standing up to Xemnas and Maleficent, you're getting a little unconfident."

The Chosen of the keyblade raised one eyebrow. "And you're not?"

The redhead blushed. "A bit…" she admitted. "But I'm also happy, very much so. I mean, all these years…" She shook her head, sending water flying everywhere as Sora laughed and held up an arm to ward off the water.

Kairi seized his arm in slight wonder, tracing her fingers over the muscles that played under the skin as Sora shivered from her touch. "You've gotten a lot stronger, Sora…" she murmured, blushing again.

An object came plummeting out of the sky, smacking Sora smack dab on his forehead and bouncing off into his lap. "What the…?" he muttered, picking it up, then he heard Kairi's gasp on wonder and actually focused on the object. As the blurred vision from the impact slowly cleared, he saw clearly the yellow star-shaped fruit in his hand, and whipping around, he saw a hint of silver among the trees near the beach, and a hand raised in acknowledgement as he nodded thanks. 'Riku…' he thought.

'_You're gonna have to repay the favour y'know.' _Roxas' voice grinned. _'Soon as you can, we're gonna be rounding up the chicks for Riku.'_

Sora laughed at his Nobody's words, then overcome with a sense of exhilaration, he hugged Kairi, whose blush deepened until it looked like her face was on fire. Realizing what he had done, he loosened his hold on her until he only had a single arm trailed across her shoulders. He looked at the papou fruit again, then at Kairi, whose eyes were gazing at the sea, but glazed over, showing that she wasn't looking at the sea, but something beyond that. In that instant, he felt happy, like the happiest man in the world as he gazed at the red-haired angel sitting next to him with her head on his shoulder, lost in a world of her own.

"Kai…" he murmured. "Kai…"

She stirred, then looked up at him, her aqua eyes flaring to a heavenly violet as the sun sent a final ray of farewell across the sea before night came. Sora's heart caught in his throat, not knowing that the same had happened to him and that they were both caught up in the swirling liquid of each other's eyes, then with an immense force of will, he managed to wrench his eyes away from hers, only for it to fall onto her lips. They looked so luscious, so rich and full, slightly parted as though in wonder, and he had to force himself to stop before he started leaning in.

His sudden involuntary movement broke her out of her own trance, and they both blushed, looking away. "Y- You called me, Sora?" she asked shyly.

'_Get on with it already, Sora!'_ Roxas yelled at him.

He held up the papou fruit, smiling a little sheepishly. "Kairi, would you uh… like to… sharethiswithme?" In his nervousness, he ran that last four words together, but Kairi got the gist of it, and there was a slight silence as the implications of his words hit them.

Kairi looked down, not trusting herself to speak as she tried to gather her wits up. As her bangs slid forward to hide her eyes, she looked up through them at the face of the boy she loved, and she knew that if she could only speak, she would accept. She swallowed once, twice, then whispered, "…Yes."

There was another slight silence, and Kairi steeled herself once more, lifting her head to look into Sora's eyes. "Yes." This time, it was firmer, with more conviction.

Sora's face melted with relief, and his eyes flared with a sudden indescribable emotion that overwhelmed Kairi and took her breath away. Dimly, she remembered that one thing she had always loved about Sora was his honesty, how he rarely held things back, letting his heart hang on his sleeve for all to see.

'_Go ahead, Kairi. Hold it between the two of you, and let the two of you take a bite at the same time.'_ Namine's normally quiet and shy voice was vibrantly happy, and behind it, Kairi could feel the joy of her keyblades, pouring out through her Nobody to her.

Taking hold of Sora's hands, which were holding the papou fruit, she lifted it into the air between them. "C'mon then, Sora." She leant forward slightly, her eyes on his as she waited.

'_You heard the girl. Go for the kill. Kill the fruit, not the girl. Yet.' _Roxas' voice laughed lightly inside Sora's head.

Gulping, Sora took a deep breath and leant in as well, the Princess' eyes holding his captive, so he couldn't close them like he so desperately wanted to. What if he messed up? What if he did something wrong (Which was the same as messing up anyways)? What if he drove her away, unknowingly? His heart skipped a beat as he remembered that he had done so, once, but had been totally aware of it, and she had returned.

'_Oi Romeo, c'mon. Do or die, sink or swim. Bite that star like you just don't care, lover boy.'_ Sora was now consciously trying not to force his Nobody out and put his hands to his throat. 'Roxas, if I ever get out of this alive, remind me to kill you.'

As their teeth sank into the juicy flesh of the star-shaped fruit, Sora felt a thrill run through him, from where his lips were scant inches from Kairi's face, through his mouth up to his brain, then rushing down to his heart and spinning once, twice, three times, before speeding to the centre of his chest, whizzing around a bit, then finally exploding, sending that tingly feeling through his entire body, down through his very fingers.

For her part, Kairi had a devilish grin on her face. With a sudden pull, she dragged the papou fruit downwards, ripping it into three: One part in her hand and a part each in their mouths. Sora, who had still been leaning in, was sent forward, and their lips sped on a collision course. As they made contact, they both felt a warm rush spread through them, a slow heat that spread like wildfire through their bodies. Impulsively, Kairi threw her hands around the Wielder of Light, and deepened the kiss, and Sora nearly fainted dead away at the exquisite taste of her mouth.

Suddenly, they felt something land on their hands, soft and brushing, a caress of a touch, a gentle breath of air. Separating and panting slightly for breath, they looked up, and saw a sky of feathers, gently dropping down around and on them. The feathers were of every hue imaginable: Black, white, green, brown, black with a silver edge, gold, even an illusionary feather that looked like it was just a fragment of a dream, vanishing away before their eyes as they looked. But of all the feathers, the most numerous of them was the white, and as the two Wielders looked higher, they saw Kurai, standing tall and proud on a cloud above them, a smile of pride and happiness, and a little sorrow on his face. Seven pairs of wings blossomed from his back, as the Fallen Angel blessed them.

Next to him was a person they couldn't identify, but they felt a surge of recognition as the Lost Seraph nodded once, his spear Valesti at his side, six white wings on his back. The Seraph raised his spear, and a green pulse of light flashed outwards once. As it faded, he was gone. In his place were two figures, one that Kairi immediately knew, and the other that Sora raised his hand in acknowledgment to. Ruin and Kirin nodded, and Kirin raised his own hand, then the two of them were gone.

"Well, looks like you two finally got it out, eh?" Kurai floated slowly down, then as his feet touched the ground, a bright flash lit up the area too bright to see, before fading and taking with it the wings on the angel's back and the feathers gracing the beach. His face was worn, more tired than they had ever seen him, but he was still smiling gently.

"Kurai! You look exhausted! What happened?!" Sora leapt to his feet, followed by Kairi, whose hand he was still holding on to, and which he didn't plan on letting go anytime soon.

"Hey, calm down. It ain't no mean feat to summon two undead from Kingdom Hearts at once y'know. Did you see him? The Lost Seraph? He had to lend me some power to be able to pull it off." Then his face sobered. "But he also had some news to give me, none of it good." He pointed at the grove of trees. "Riku, come out here. I need to call Leo too." He pointed again, this time at the sky, and a ray of pure darkness shot out of his finger, vanishing into the heavens as black clouds whirled around where it had touched the sky.

As the Wielder of Dawn left the trees, a meteor streaked down from the sky, crashing into the sea, before Leo, in Bladed Form, emerged, dripping wet and steaming, his armour red hot in places. "Oi Kurai! Danger! Soul Society is under attack!"

Kurai's eyes narrowed. Clicking his fingers, a swirling dark portal appeared before them, and he gestured towards it. "So even Leo knows now. That's exactly the news the Lost Seraph brought me. Let's go. Sorry Sora, Kairi. The honeymoon'll have to wait." A grin flitted across his face, and he stepped into the whirling portal, followed by the others, Sora and Kairi blushing bright red.

* * *

Ichigo grunted, swinging Zangetsu at another weak Hollow and butchering it instantly. Wiping his brow, he looked around, sharp hazel eyes piercing the dust and cries to take in the situation. No Hollow above Menos level had come, but there had been so many of the weaker Hollows that they were being pushed back by sheer force of numbers. He and the other Captains were reluctant to go into their more powerful states, since they didn't want to waste precious energy should a sudden powerful assaulting charge come pouring through.

Taking advantage of the situation, Yamamoto had sent for the Shinigami Academy, and overseen by the instructors and the Gotei 13, the students were methodically learning the finer details of the shinigami sport known as Hollow Hunting. The Kidou Corps were taking charge over the Kidou (A/N: As you guys already know, Magic.) classes, while the Secret Mobile Corps were taking the Hohou (A/N: Footwork.) classes. Watching the Eleventh Division go to work was the 'class' of the Zanjutsu (A/N: Pretty much swordwork.). Finally, in the middle of all the seeming chaos, Soifon, the lithe Captain of the Second Division was giving Hakuda (A/N: Hand to hand combat.) tips. And as always, the Fourth Division was on standby, watching with eyes and reiatsu to determine who needed to be pulled out.

And still the Hollows came.

"So, Sora, Kairi. You two know what to do?" Riku asked casually as they surveyed the battleground.

The two Wielders looked at him, still holding hands. "Uh… are we supposed to know something?" Sora asked, a puzzled frown on his face.

Riku punched his shoulder lightly, grinning evilly. "Bet I can get more than you." A flash of black later, he had shunpo-ed away, and shearing arcs of darkness deep in the Hollow ranks told the fighters that reinforcements had come.

Sora looked wistfully at where Riku was destroying Hollows by the dozen, then at where his and Kairi's hands were joined.

Kairi ruffled his hair affectionately. "Go ahead then, Sora. Kick their ass!" She untangled her fingers from him, suddenly feeling that there was a void in her hand. "Don't go getting too beat up now."

Sora's eyes scanned the battlefield, and then slitted into their yellow draconic form. This time, he felt the change, and he spun around in horror, throwing a quick glance at Kurai. The angel's own silver eyes opened wide, then narrowed. He hissed something under his breath, then fell into deep contemplation.

"Sora, go ahead. Show 'em a bit of pain. I'll be visiting a few friends of mine. I need to sort a few things out." His eyes flashed.

Sora nodded, then turned back to the battlefield. His eyes scanned the field, then turned back to Kurai. "Why aren't there any Menos Grande or Vasto Lorde?"

"What, you actually want to fight one of _those_ bastards again? Anyways, there aren't a lot of Vasto around, thankfully. Most of those left have apparently been turned into Arrancar, further lessening their numbers. But you're right, it's weird. I think Aizen's going for a storming tactic. But why now, after we've just decided to start? I think he's just trying to delay us while…" Kurai's eyes snapped wide. "Damn! He's probably got the Vasto ready for a sneak attack!" He flung his arm out to one side, and his wings appeared in a pillar of black light, announcing to all Soul Society that the Fallen Angel was here. "I need to use my angelic authority here. Sora, since there aren't any really powerful Hollows out there now, this might be a good time to train Kairi."

Instead of vanishing into thin air like he usually did, Kurai spread his wings and took too the sky, his black wings stark against the harsh noon sun. Betrayal roared out a ringing challenge as he soared towards Seireitei, and a few unlucky Hollows were reduced to spirit particles in a flurry of slashes that tore them apart.

Sora grinned. "Always has to go with a bit of a boom." His eyes narrowed in concern. "I wonder what's wrong with me…" He glanced down at himself. "Who am I?" He suddenly felt a pair of soft hands wind themselves around his waist.

"You're Sora, the Wielder of Light, and the one I love…" Kairi murmured into his ear. The touch of her warm breath on his skin sent shivers through him, and he tried to take his mind off it by summoning Oathkeeper and Oblivion, pointing them at the milling horde below. "Shall we?" he asked.

Kairi grinned. Oathgiver and Eternity materialized behind her, hovering in mid-air as she released Sora, conjuring balls of flame in her hands. "Why don't we?" she returned. "Bankai."

Vines wrapped around her slim body, petals dancing through the air, seeking but not finding their companion, the thousand petals of Senbonzakura. A nimbus of crimson light enveloped her, and for a second, Sora, trying to avert his eyes but failing to, caught a glimpse of her naked body. Blushing, he finally managed to rip his eyes away from the red light, and forced himself to calm down. "Bankai."

Liquid metal flowed around his arms and chest, forming sweeping wings of white and black on his back. Oathkeeper and Oblivion remained cemented to his hands, but now a white aura surrounded the Keyblade of Promise, while a black cloud hovered around the Keyblade of Nothingness, increasing their length to nearly twice their normal range.

As he turned to face the Hollow mass, he heard a low whistle behind him. Turning back to look behind him, he saw Kairi looking at him with a kind of hunger in her eyes. Seeing him turn back, her face took on an innocent look, smiling as she looked him in the eyes. "Yes?"

Sora shook his head. "Uh… Kai? When did you learn how to whistle?"

Kairi smiled again, this time with a gentleness that he had only seen once before; back on the beach when they had kissed for the first time. "It was something a friend of mine told me. She said her boyfriend told her that if she ever needed him, she only needed to whistle. He'd come running."

Sora's eyes widened, then softened. "Well Kai, I'll do the same for you. Whenever you need me, just whistle. I'll come running." He held out one armoured hand, and to his surprise, the armour melted away, taking a firm hold of Oblivion and shifting it until the hilt rested under his wrist, leaving his hand free to grasp Kairi's. "Let's go."

Kairi nodded. "Okay."

Together, the Wielder of Love and the Wielder of Light leapt off the cliff they had landed on, blades of energy ripping from Sora's arms surrounded by razor-sharp winds and petals lacerating gaping holes in the Hollow force.

Behind them, Leo, who had been overlooked by everyone else, grinned. "Now _that_ was entertaining." He morphed into Loaded Form, then leapt off into the sky, propelled by his thrusters, unloading lead onto the ground, still grinning all the while.

* * *

Kurai flew straight to the Headquarters of the First Division, ignoring the startled cries of the sentries posted to guard the area. Not like any of them didn't know he was coming; Kurai had taken the liberty of loosening a little control over the massive power he held, and being in his mere presence was enough to choke some of the lower ranked shinigami.

"Tenshi! What is the meaning of this, Fallen Angel?!" The Vice-Captain of the 1st Division, Sasakibe Choujirou, a middle-aged man who nevertheless had a shock of gray hair and with his hand on his zanpakutou hilt, stood in front of Kurai.

"Tell the old man I need to speak with him. Now." Kurai's voice was low, growling, and his eyes flashed again. Choujirou gulped once, but was about to deny him access when he heard his Captain. "Let him in, Choujirou."

The Vice-Captain turned to the closed door and bowed. "_Hai._ (A/N: Yes.)"

Kurai didn't wait for him to open the door, but cut it down in one stroke, ignoring the wide eyes of the Lieutenant. "Genryuusai!" he called as he strode in. "Call a meeting of the Captains, give it the highest priority you can, now!"

The old shinigami stared at him in surprise. "Tenshi, what do you mean? There's no danger, even shinigami trainees can destroy these Hollows. This is even better than having to organize trips to the Human Realm!"

Kurai glared at the old shinigami and suddenly wished he had the authority to mess with the shinigami's head. He certainly had the power to, but the authority wasn't with him. Yamamoto was notorious for being inflexible and strict. "Look, Genryuu. I have it on the highest authority that Aizen is massing up for an all out attack with his new Espada, all of Vasto Lorde. If you don't pull out your new recruits, they'll be the first to die, y'hear me?!"

"All the better for the recruits. They have to learn to fight, and this is the best way to do it."

Kurai grated his teeth. "Look, call a meeting of the Captains and put it to vote, alright?"

Yamamoto shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Tenshi. Captain meetings aren't trivial matters; you can't just call them as you please."

Kurai sighed; he'd guessed all along that it would come to this. Snapping his fingers, two pairs of wings appeared on his back: The white of Umou and the black of Betrayal. "I order you, in the name of the Right Hand of God."

Yamamoto's eyes widened. "You can't be serious. Joking has limits, Tenshi."

"Do I _look_ like I'm joking, Yamamoto-dono?" A gold hue was starting to creep into the angel's silver irises.

Yamamoto hesitated for a brief moment, then stood up and strode to the middle of the room, Kurai watching with some satisfaction. 'I thought he'd _never_ do it.'

"_Banshou issai kaijin to nase, Ryuujin Jakka."_ (A/N: From Chapter 16: It means "Turn all of creation to smouldering ashes. Ryuujin Jakka means Flowing Flame Blade, or something similar.)

A massive explosion erupted from the muscular old man as the flames shot straight upwards, a rising pillar of fire that reached the very sky. Then the flames disappeared as Yamamoto resealed the mighty zanpakutou, morphing the sword back into an ordinary seeming cane that he rested his hands on as he awaited the arrival of the Captains.

It didn't take long. Within moments, the huge inhuman Komamura Saijin, Captain of the Seventh Division, had arrived, the helmet that hid his wolf-like head long since destroyed. He bowed deferentially to Yamamoto, then moved to his spot, where he stood tall and proud. But Kurai knew better. The Captain's heart was in turmoil: One of the three traitors of Soul Society, Tousen Kaname, had been a very close friend of his; they shared ideals and dreams, fighting for justice. Tousen's defection had shaken him to the core, and the angel could tell that even now, the anthropomorphic canine was feeling great confusion and anger.

Second to arrive was one of the fastest people in Soul Society, Soifon, Captain of the Second Division. Dressed in her usual Captain's robes with two strands of braided hair on her head that reached below her waist, she bowed to Yamamoto before taking her place at his right hand. Her face was stern, composed, but Kurai had had occasion to throw himself into fits of laughter due to her obsessive, almost infatuation with Yoruichi.

Hot on her heels was another incredibly fast warrior: Kuchicki Byakuya, Captain of the Sixth Division. The head of the Kuchiki house had no emotion at all on his face, although Kurai knew that buried somewhere beneath that diamond exterior, a lot deeper than anyone'd expect, lay a compassion and kindness. Of course, he rarely showed it, and even in the process of being 'kind', he would appear to be aloof and cold. He too bowed to Yamamoto, before walking to stand opposite Komamura.

Right behind him was Ichigo, who still held Zangetsu in his hand from where he had been out on the front lines. In the presence of the Captain-Commander though, the orange-haired shinigami slung the massive blade back over his shoulder, and the bandage strap that extended from the pommel lengthened, wrapping around the blade and holding it securely in place. The Captain of the Fifth Division nodded at Yamamoto, then strode to stand next to Komamura, looking completely bored.

The Fourth Division Captain, Unohana Retsu, walked sedately into the room, bowing gravely to Yamamoto, before seeming to float to her spot opposite Ichigo, standing Byakuya and Soifon. Kurai knew that although the woman was Captain of a healing division and she appeared calm and gentle, her skill in battle was matched only by Yamamoto himself, as was evident by the looks of fear on the faces of the Eleventh Division members she usually caught in the act of bullying her helpless Fourth Division members.

With a mighty yawn, Kyouraku Shunsui appeared out of nowhere in a swirl of reiatsu in his spot next to Byakuya, nodding to Yamamoto like Ichigo. Still dressed in his flamboyant pink haori, the Captain of the Eighth Division looked half asleep, but Kurai could see the glint of intelligent eyes surveying the room calmly under half-lidded lashes.

Next to arrive was Hitsugaya Toushiro, the boy wonder of Soul Society, the youngest Captain, wielder of the most powerful ice elemental zanpakutou in Soul Society. The Captain of the Tenth Division stood a full head shorter than Soifon, but they were evenly matched in battle, she with her speed and he with his frosty skill. Hyourinmaru was slung over his shoulder by a green strap as he bowed to Yamamoto, before walking to his spot next to Kyouraku.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri was the eighth to arrive, and the Captain of the Twelfth Division made no hint to conceal the fact that the summons had come right in the middle of an experiment that he considered to be of vital importance. His face held a small frown, with slightly gritted teeth as he bowed to Yamamoto, before striding next to Hitsugaya. Kurai's eyes narrowed at the sight of him: He'd never liked the guy much.

Ukitake Juushiro, the ailing Captain of the Thirteenth Division was after Mayuri, and he inclined his head at Kyouraku, who returned the gesture; smiled at Ichigo, who grinned back, and bowed at Yamamoto. Kurai looked at the man with genuine affection: He had liked the man ever since he first came to Soul Society a few thousand years back, and that affection hadn't diminished. He took special pains to make sure that he troubled the ill Captain as little as possible, and frequently asked Kyouraku to take care of matters instead. Ukitake walked over to stand opposite Mayuri, leaving a large gap between him and Komamura.

Finally, with a loud clatter, the last Captain arrived. Zaraki Kenpachi, the Captain of the Eleventh Division, strode up to his place without glancing at anyone else, standing between Ukitake and Komamura, leaving a gap between him and Komamura. The large man was the third tallest person in the room, just shy of Kurai and a few inches shorter than Komamura. For once, his lieutenant, the pink-haired child-like Kusajishi Yachiru wasn't on his shoulder, due to the nature of the meeting.

Yamamoto thudded the butt of his cane on the ground once, coughing sharply as he did so. "We are gathered now. Two are absent from our number, but we will soon remedy that, one at least, if the other should refuse the promotion as he has before." He turned to Kurai. "This is the one who has summoned this meeting with such urgency that I could not use a hell butterfly. Step forward, Tenshi Kurai."

The angel obliged, and the eyes of the assembled Captains grew wary as they saw the two pairs of wings on his back, signifying that he spoke with an angel's authority, and not with the counsel of a friend. Essentially, it meant that it'd be a very good thing for them to obey him.

Kurai didn't waste any time beating around the bush. "Right, I'm sure you guys've noticed that huge concentration of Hollows out there now. However, they're all weak, making for perfect bait to train your younger shinigami. However, I've received some intel from my dragons that this is just the calm before the storm. I've managed to sniff out that Aizen has managed to get a few more Privarion Espada. For an Arrancar to be a Privarion, they must be demoted from Espada. In other words, ex-Espada. Now, why would he need demote an Espada? Because he has new ones. Now, the dragons I sent to watch over old four eyes told me about three days or so ago that his new team of Privarion Espada are made pretty much exclusively of Vasto Lorde."

At those words, there was a collective gasp around the room. Yamamoto was gazing at Kurai with narrowed eyes, while Soifon's face was openly shocked, and Byakuya's face, although still unreadable, had traces of fear, rage, worry and a rueful expression that he hadn't been able to dispose of the traitorous Captain before he left. Kyouraku and Ukitake exchanged worried glances, and Komamura's hand curled into a fist. Zaraki alone seemed unperturbed, but there was a look in his eyes as he recounted his battle with the 5th Espada, Nnoitra Jiruga, that Kurai had killed the last time Soul Society had been attacked: He had come close to death then, and Nnoitra wasn't even in the top four.

"Vasto… Lorde…?" Hitsugaya murmured. "And at least ten of them… All heightened by the strength of the Arrancar… Is this it then…? Is this the end of Soul Society as we know it…?"

Kurai raised a hand, and the discipline of the Captains reasserted themselves. "Now, I know this is worrying… Alright, that's an understatement. But I never said you'll be fighting alone. Yesterday's enemies are today's allies. You have welcomed the Vizard back, not with open arms maybe, but welcomed them back nevertheless, and for that, they will fight for you. Vizard are stronger than anything else in Soul Society, including Vasto Lorde, and these new Espada will only be able to match the Vizard for strength and not surpass them. However, they have a numerical advantage, and to be completely honest with you, only Genryuu here can take on a Vasto Espada on a one on one basis. I can take another, but that leaves more than five for you guys to take, since even Vizard have things they're good at. For example, former Kidou Corps Lieutenant Ushouda Hachigen cannot hold his own in a melee battle, so former Ninth Division Captain Muguruma Kensei will have to help him. Former Twelfth Division Lieutenant Sarugaki Hiyori cannot hold her own against one either, so Former Eighth Division Lieutenant Yadoumaru Lisa and Former Ninth Division Lieutenant Kuna Mashiro will have to help her. Former Captains of the Seventh and Third Divisions Aikawa Love and Outoribashi Roujuurou, also known as Rose, can take another together."

Kurai paused to think through the battle preparations he had put together in his mind. "I also request pardons for Former Captains of the Second and Twelfth Divisions and the former Captain of the Kidou Corps, Shihouin Yoruichi, Urahara Kisuke and Tsukabishi Tessai. Between them and former Captain of the Fifth Division Hirako Shinji, they can take at least two, maybe three. Of course, we still have to account for fatalities and Ressurecion."

As he spoke, Kurai had been drawing something with his finger in mid-air, and a thin trail of black flame followed the path of his finger, effectively showing a map of Soul Society, encompassing Rukongai and Seireitei, as well as a good portion of the wild countryside beyond. Ichigo's eyes were bulging as he heard the true strength and former occupations of the ones he had once regarded as mere tools to a power that he needed.

"Hold it, Kurai!" the orange-haired Captain shouted. "You mean _Shinji _was the Captain of the Fifth?!"

Kurai looked up absently. "You weren't paying attention, Ichigo? Yeah, they are. All of the Vizards were either Captains or Vice-Captains once."

Ichigo was starting to swear profusely, forgetting that he was in a room of Captains until Byakuya, unable to take it anymore, pointed discreetly at him and mouthed, "Bakudou no Kyuu, Geki."

Red light engulfed the swearing Captain, completely paralysing him. However, Ichigo's massive reiatsu soon overpowered the spell and broke free, but the sudden stop had made him cool down. He turned to Yamamoto. "Ah… _Gomen_, Yamamoto-taichou. I got a bit carried away there."

Yamamoto's eyes were on him. "Yes… I see. So they were the ones who trained you in that forbidden power."

Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly. "Well… Yeah. When I became a shinigami for the first time, Byakuya there took the power away, since it belonged to Rukia, not me. Urahara-san took me in, and forced me to either become a shinigami or a hollow. I managed to become a shinigami, then learned Shikai. However, during the transformation into a shinigami, I was hovering between shinigami and hollow the whole time. I guess that awoken the hollow in me."

Byakuya's eyes opened wide. "So… That creature I fought…?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. When I busted into Soul Society and fought my way to the Soukyouku, where I fought Byakuya, it got loose. Ever since then, it's been getting harder and harder to control, and my reiatsu attracted the Vizard's attentions. Shinij came to me, and after the Hollow got loose too many times, I decided to train under them. I fought my Hollow, and managed to beat him, which effectively made me a Vizard."

"…Fascinating." Yamamoto's eyes were still trained on Ichigo. "Can you summon your mask here, Kurosaki-taichou?"

Ichigo looked around at the faces that were both wary and expectant. He rubbed the back of his neck again. "Uh… I guess I could…" He raised his left hand above his head, formed into something akin to a claw, palm facing inwards and finger curled. He focused his reiatsu, and black energy started to whirl around him, focusing in the palm of his hand. The energy started to morph, becoming white streaks of material, and with a pull, he dragged his mask over his face. His reiatsu exploded out, and Soifon and Komamura actually flinched as the incredible force smashed into them before Ichigo forced it back under control. The now white reiatsu cleared, and Ichigo stood in the centre of the room, his white mask with red streaks on his face, golden eyes gazing at Yamamoto.

Yamamoto's face showed no expression at all. "I saw you fire a Cero in the defence the last time Aizen sent his cohorts against us. Would you care to demonstrate?"

The mask hid Ichigo's expression, but he shrugged. "It took me a helluva long time to get it right, but I can do it now, I think." He stuck his right hand out and a ball of purple energy appeared, hovering above his palm, humming ominously. He pointed his palm at the wall, the ball hovering in mid-air just before his palm, then it distended into the familiar beam of energy that ripped into the wall before fading.

By now, the curiosity of the other Captains had won over. "Bala?" asked Kyouraku. "Sonido?" Hitsugaya shot at him. "Hierro?" Zaraki, of all people, asked.

Ichigo shrugged. "No idea. I've only ever tried Cero. It's not very practical to use: I prefer using Zangetsu here. Shinji though, I've seen him fight. He makes Arrancar Cero look like a wuss."

Kurai grinned and nodded. "Yeah, he thought that he might as well make the best of a bad situation, and trained extensively, out of sight and reiatsu detection though. He can probably take on a Vasto Espada alone, but it'd be dangerous." He gestured at the map. "Now, I know Shinji's told Ichigo that we're planning to start the Winter War soon, and that we were taking the fight to Hueco Mundo. But plans have changed. Right now, we have homeground and numerical advantage, unless Aizen decides to throw the rest of Hueco Mundo at us. I have dragons to take out the weaker Hollows, and if worst comes to worst, I can request backup from the angels. However, that's only in a worst case scenario. Sora, Kairi and Riku still aren't completely at ease in Bankai, but they're getting there. Leo, a… protégé of mine, if you want to put it that way, is here too, and he'll help out. We also have the aid of the Quincy, who will be here in a week's time."

At the mention of the word 'Quincy', Mayuri snorted. "Quincy? There're only two left alive: An obsessive moneymaker in the Human Realm who's well over seventy, and that Quincy boy who died and is in Rukongai right now. I'm sure they'll be plenty of help." His voice dripped heavy sarcasm.

"You forget one thing, Kurotsuchi." Kurai's usage of Mayuri's last name instead of his first name was significant: He even used Yamamoto's first name, and it spoke volumes of how he viewed the Head of the Shinigami Research Institute. "It's true that the Quincy originated in Japan, but didn't you know that a strain of them moved to Germany? You could call it fate if you wish, but I guess scientists don't care for such trivial matters. Anyway, Uryuu's gone to Germany in a _gigai_ (A/N: A faux body: A physical body that can be seen by humans. It normally has no soul at all, being of flesh and blood but no spirit, but a shinigami or soul in general can enter these bodies, which they can then manipulate as their own.), and he's gonna bring some backup here. How exactly he's going to persuade them I have no idea, but he's a resourceful one, Uryuu, as he proved when he beat you." His eyes bore into Mayuri's, who quailed before the Fallen Angel, although not gracefully.

Kurai nodded, satisfied, and clapped his hands. "So, let's see what we've got. I'd say Uryuu's gonna be able to get us at least twenty Quincy, and we have eight Vizard, not counting Ichigo. Eleven Captains, plus me and Leo. And we can't forget Sora, Kairi, or Riku. Not to mention Kisuke, Tessai and Yoruichi. You _will _pardon them, won't you?" he asked Yamamoto, who nodded, a shrugging helplessly. "Good. Well, I'd say we stand a good fighting chance. Of course, there're still the Privarion Espada to look forward to, plus the three traitors. I think I can call in a few tens of angels though. I'd say we balance out. It'll all be on a hairstring."

He nodded at Yamamoto, who thudded his cane on the floor once. "Dismissed."

* * *

Let's get this party _started_ biot-... Nah, I won't use that word. xD Tension's rising, it's time to have a bit of fun on the battlefield! Draw your swords, Captains of the White Tower, and stand on the fields of the Wandering Souls, to face the Hollows of the Hollow Realm! Read and review!


	39. First Blood

Yup, monthly updates fits me to a tee. If this keeps up long enough, I should be able to revert back to weekly updates. :Nods: Yes indeedy.

Now, it's been a while since I last post disclaimers, but I shouldn't need to. Everything in my fic belongs to their respective owners, even if they aren't explicitly stated. Got that boyos?

**To my reviewers**  
BladeXIII: Thanks.  
Pseudo-daemonum: I love you in a non-homosexual way. xD No really, I need someone to point out things in my fic that I, as the author, might have failed to pick out. I'll reply to that under my reviewer replies. It deserves its own space. Especially since many of the questions could've been wondered at some point or other by the other readers.  
The Elven-Spear: Not yet. The battle's after this. And there's only so many ways you can turn up at a meeting. I couldn't very well add fireworks and drum rolls now can I? There were around 10 Captains, maybe 11. You'll forgive me for running low on the creative juices. xD  
RockCityRoadStar: Thanks! Took them long enough, I know, but it's a teenage thing. I'm pretty sure _all _you guys can relate. :Hint hint wink wink:  
DusandDan: Woah there, overkill much? xD But I'm one to talk, since Kurai's based off what I want to be. xD  
BlackChaos105: Heh, no worries. Glad you liked it. xD

Pseudo-Angelicum (Yeah, the name of my reply. I'm bored, sue me later.): I get your point completely about Roxas. If I ever do a complete rehaul of my fic, I'm taking out a few lines. Of course, I _could _also say that the joining of Sora and Kairi would also mean a joining of him and Namine, and he's more than a little nervous.

Leo, as you've said, was intro'd a few chapters earlier. He's a Dark Horse, who rarely gets mentioned, but plays some key roles. Plus, like you've said, my rarity of updates tend to be a little... distracting. Technically, he turned up out of nowhere, and he IS affiliated with Kurai in MANY strange ways. He stays in the background, noticing everything but rarely contributing. Plus, he isn't one of my naturally integrated characters, but BlackChaos105's, which dirties up the clogs a bit. Not blaming you or anything, BlackChaos105. xD Still, he plays a big role in this. Trust me. I know that I've done a rough job with him so far, but I plan to remedy that as soon as this disturbing black blob on my forehead disappears.

I'm not sure I get your next thing. In this particular area, no Hollow above Menos level had come. This meant that nothing above and including Gillian was present, and the whole field was a mass of the weaker ones, the ones Ichigo and Co. fought in the beginning or near the beginning of the series, as well as throughout. True, in the previous battle, Vasto Lorde and Menos Grande were present, but not in this one. Think of it as a mass melee: Weak Hollows VS Weak Shinigami. You're right, Menos encompass all Hollows that are Gillians, up to the famed Vasto Lorde. However, Menos in general, I take to mean any Hollow stronger than a conventional Hollow. And the _unconventional _Hollows are the Arrancar. I guess in a way, I wasn't too clear. Is that what you meant?

And finally, Kurai had to explain things, hence the shift to him. He sums up the events, both good and bad, and the measures being taken to bring them back under control. It also highlights his position as being above them, though he might converse with them as equals. The true power of the Vizard are shown: Augmented with the Hollow within them, they were all Captains or Vice-Captains previously, bringing their power to an incredible height. Cero too, a powerful tool for the enemy, is also theirs. Finally, it sums up their current position, and re-inforcements. Maybe it dragged on a bit too much, but I like strategy, so I apologize.

Pseudo-angelicum:end.

Meh. Hope that answered a few questions. Now, read. Oh, and for you HitsuMomo shippers... Don't kill me. I had to. Honest.

* * *

Oathkeeper and Oathgiver met in a resounding clang as Sora and Kairi panted for breath. The Wielder of Light was easily more than twice as skilled as his Love counter-part, but for her sake, he was pacing himself, not actually trying to beat her.

"Goshdarnit! How long will it take before I can fight with you, Sora?!" she yelled in frustration as she stuck Oathgiver into the ground, flopping onto the ground next to it and lying spreadeagled, glaring up at the rocky ceiling of the cavern they had trained in for Bankai.

Sora stared at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. "_'Goshdarnit'_? Where did you learn _that_?"

The red-haired Princess stuck her chin in the air. "I _invented_ it."

Behind her, Riku snorted, trying hard not to break out in laughter of his own. "C'mon, Kairi. We don't have much time to be fooling around y'know. Kurai said that this Aizen guy's probably going to attack in about five days. Those shinigami students have been retreating slowly. That old man in charge of this knows what he's doing: If he had just called them all back, that Aizen guy'd know straight away we were on to him."

"Lighten up, Riku." Sora folded his arms behind his head, grinning carelessly. "We've got plenty of firepower on our side, shouldn't be too much trouble." Riku walked casually over to the Wielder of Light and just as casually smacked him upside the head. "Hey! What was that for?!"

"For being an idiot," Riku laughed. "Kurai's worried, and we know how good he is. Right now, we need to make sure we won't be a hindrance to him. And that means train." With a flash of darkness, Way to the Dawn materialized in his hand and he lunged at Sora, who grinned.

"You're on!"

White and black met in a massive explosion, and in the heart of the explosion, Way to the Dawn and Oathkeeper exchanged rapid, furious blows. Leaping apart, they circled each other at a speed so higher Kairi could barely keep up, then leapt in again, forming another explosion, then Sora leapt up, followed closely by Riku. Parry and attack met, and they spun around in mid-air, weapons locked as they both strained, then Riku pushed them both apart. Landing deftly on the ground, they grinned at each other, the adrenalin of battle in their veins.

"Let's turn it up a little, Riku!" Sora challenged the Wielder of Dawn, spinning Oathkeeper around in his hands before slashing his left hand out to the side, summoning Oblivion.

"Why don't we?" Riku bared his teeth in a wolfish grin, holding Way to the Dawn tip towards to ground before him.

"BANKAI!"

Even before the massive surge of power that almost burnt up the air around them could dissipate and Riku's dome appeared, they were already in each other's faces, Way to the Dawn and a thin black sword clashing with the armoured arms of Sora. Riku gestured once with his head, and hundreds of black blades tore the ground up, surging at Sora in a thundering wave. Sora planted his foot in the centre of the 'X' his arms formed, pushing him away from Riku in a graceful somersault. Even as he spun through the air, he slashed out with both arms, causing a rippling wave of white and black energy to smash into the wave of swords, shattering black particles everywhere that reformed into swords and plunged into the ground. As Sora's feet touched the ground, he felt it start to shake, and immediately pushed off again, wrapping his wings around him as the swords erupting from the ground slammed into the star steel armour.

Kairi, watching from outside the dome, couldn't decide who to cheer for. Riku had the skill, but Sora added a degree of unpredictability, and the outcome of the friendly duel, although it didn't look very friendly, was on complete stasis. She found herself watching the move of their bodies, how Riku had complete control over his actions, able to stop Way to the Dawn a mere hairbreadth away from where he was aiming, and how Sora's movements were fast, but conservative, saving his energy for a drawn out fight. She noted almost absently how differently he fought now compared to when he had fought BlackWarGreymon what seemed so long ago when Kurai had taken her captive. Back then, Final Form drained him of so much energy it was a wonder he could still stand after a fight. But then again, he had always been stubborn. Bankai however, conserved his energy, releasing them in powerful bursts of short-lived charges, before retreating on the defensive and storing up more, ready for another opening.

"Watch and learn, Kairi."

She glanced behind her in surprise, and saw Oathgiver and Eternity watching her with smiles on your faces. "How are you, Radiant Princess?"

Her smile lit up the cavern. "Never better." They nodded and vanished again. She didn't need to elaborate. Her smile did it all for her. Suddenly, she thought of something that she had absently noted before, but forgot completely. 'Hey Oathgiver, Eternity.'

'Yes?' came the reply.

'When Sora and I were… You know… estranged… Why didn't you two seem worried at all? I mean, he's the Wielder of Light, and I'm the Wielder of Love, and…' Kairi's mental voice was tinged a bit with sad memories.

There was a slight silence, and Kairi got a sense of sad smiles and fond memories. 'Well… Put it this way. You two are more like Kirin and Ruin than you think.' Oathgiver's voice was nostalgic, reaching far back through the centuries to when his Wielder had still been alive with the Wielder of Light.

Kairi was more than a little shocked. 'You mean…?'

'He means exactly what he said, Kairi. Kirin and Ruin went through the same thing, a long time ago. Kurai was the one who got them back together again, just like he did this time. I think it explains why he was so angry.' Eternity's mental voice held a note of mirth as she remembered the almost humorous fury of the ex-Wielder of Dawn.

'Mind you, it wasn't funny at the time. We seriously thought he was about to murder someone.' Oathgiver's voice was lighthearted again, as though the memories had passed. 'Anyways, Kairi, I think you'd better keep your eyes on your two Wielders. Might as well learn something from the way they're trying to kill each other.'

'Oathgiver!' Kairi's voice was stern. 'Stop joking!' But she watched the two Wielders duel with undisguised concern all the same. 'But didn't Kurai love Ruin? Why did he… give her away?'

There was another poignant pause, then Eternity replied, 'He did, Kairi. More than anything. That's why for him, her happiness comes first. He has been suffering for centuries now, Kairi. With his own hands, he gave her away, with his own words, he sent her to his best friend. And with his own blade, he took her life, although not of his own will. Can you fathom, even for a moment, just how great his pain was? That was what finally gave him the power to face the dragon, and beat it. We were watching. From Kingdom Hearts, from the Key Rift, all of us Keyblades were watching. And even now he labours on, alone, helping the Wielders who were, the Wielders who are and the Wielders who are to come. The ones before you were the Wielders of the Elements, the Wielders of Earth, Wind and Water. Kurai helped them as well, setting them on their path to defeat their own enemy. Now he's helping you. And when you have passed on, he will lead the Wielders to be on their own path, that ultimately joins the paths of all the Wielders that were, that are, and that will be, to Kingdom Hearts.'

Kairi remained silent; her eyes watching as Sora narrowly avoided a plummeting blade sent his way from Riku, but her mind tracing an ancient sorrow and grief so deep that she could not even see the bottom.

* * *

"Impressive."

"I knew you'd see it my way."

The two watchers gazed at the dome where flashes of white and black light sporadically lit up the cavern, and the green-garbed man with the green-striped hat hid his face with a fan. "I should've known better than to underestimate them, shouldn't I, Kurai-san?"

Kurai nodded. "Kirin was like that too, a long time ago. I trained with him here, in this very cavern, a few thousand years back, give or take a century or two. Ruin was standing right where Kairi is, and Kirin and I were in Bankai, just like them now…"

"How nostalgic."

Kurai's mouth turned up at the corners. "I seem to recall that you have some very happy memories here as well, Kisuke. With a certain feline I might add."

Urahara glanced at Kurai out of the corner of his eye and smiled mysteriously. "Well now, professional curiosity does have its bounds, Kurai-san. Me and Yoruichi-san have a mutual interest in each other. She helps me, and I help her. That's all."

Kurai raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Oh…? If you say so then." He grinned to himself. "You might just want to get a move on though. She's been waiting for a century. She's not going to be waiting much longer. Not to mention a certain little bumblebee might steal her away, whether or not she likes it."

"Ah, now we come to a topic that is a little sensitive. The Special Forces has people everywhere you know. I should know, having been the Third-Seat in the Second Division before I became Captain. I think it might be prudent to stop the course of the subject… until further privacy, that is." Urahara's eyes twinkled.

The angel shrugged. "If you say so," he repeated, a sly glint in his eyes.

* * *

"Damn this place has changed. I guess things change in a century or so." Shinji wandered through the halls of the Fifth Division, glancing around at random things and remarking on how everything had changed since he had been exiled from Soul Society.

"Shuddup, Shinji. You're starting to piss me off." Hiyori was restraining herself with an awesome amount of willpower not to leap up and smash the ex-Captain in the head with her geta. Not that she didn't want to. No, she'd really, _really_ like to, but that just won't do, not here, in public.

Shinji had made himself at home in the Fifth Division, where some of the unseated shinigami who had finally made it to a seat without getting killed still remembered him, and greeted him with smiles and greetings. Those who didn't know him however, having heard of the forbidden Hollowfication he had undergone, eyed him warily, as if he would turn on them any moment.

Throughout Soul Society, most of the shinigami treated the Vizard with veiled suspicion, if not with open hostility. However, the return of the Captains with the order that the Vizard were allies, enforced by the Captain-Commander's seal on the document, settled it to a small resentment. Kyouraku and Nanao had been overjoyed that Lisa had returned, while Shuuhei, finally laying eyes on his saviour after so long, was a little awed. Kensei had marched into the Ninth Division with a determined look on his face, and ignoring complaints, pleas, threats and begging, he had proceeded to organize the whole Division from the inside out, after giving Shuuhei a crisp command to either obey him or leave. Shuuhei had obeyed, although the presence of Mashiro was a cause of concern for him, especially since she seemed to have taken a liking to his tattoos.

Hiyori had, understandably, gone nowhere near the Twelfth Division. She hated Mayuri, and although she knew Nemu wasn't really much to blame, she found herself hating her as well. She preferred Urahara to the 'sadistic madman', as she called Mayuri, and instead stayed close to Shinji, since most of the other Vizard had been… accepted, if not made welcome.

Love and Rose had gone to the Third Division, feeling out of place in their obviously unmilitary clothing, but nevertheless interested to see how Rose's old Division was doing. It took them a while to get the current Vice-Captain, Izuru Kira, to open up to them, but after Yamamoto's announcement came through, he slowly warmed up, until a pivotal point when Rose jokingly remarked that he might just pick up captainship again. There was a short silence, then Kira asked, "Why don't you?"

"I guess I can't. I don't want to be the leader of a Division that fears me and what lies inside me. I'm afraid of it too, but I face it, and fight it. It's not right for a Division to have to fear the one who leads them. That, I leave for scum like Aizen." Rose's face was stern, his fingers twitching slightly, which Love pointed out. The blonde man sighed. "I wish I had my guitar here. Playing it always calms me down somehow."

Kira stood up suddenly. "I'll be right back." A blur of reiatsu followed the bow he gave to the two ex-Captains, and they exchanged glances. "He hasn't, has he?"

Apparently, he had. Kira returned with a guitar he had somehow acquired from somewhere, which he presented to the ex-Captain of his Division. "If it pleases you, take this to calm your nerves, Taichou (A/N: If you haven't got the gist of this yet, it means Captain.)."

Rose took it from him gravely, then suddenly hugged the surprised man. "The 3rd is fortunate to have you, Izuru Kira-kun. If only you had been my Lieutenant… So long ago…"

Hachigen, for his part, was practising kidou that he had long thought he had forgotten. The huge ex-Lieutenant of the Kidou Corps was smiling gently as he unleashed devastating forces onto the training dummy that had been reinforced with steel and spell, revelling in the reiatsu ebb and flow around him. This was his forte, the manipulation of the very force that made up a shinigami.

Lisa was hiding with Nanao, reading to her. The younger woman had always thought of herself as mature, but the grave self-confidence and aura of power the Vizard emanated made her feel suddenly young again, like the fateful night the Vizard had been attacked while they were still shinigami, and she, unknowing, had asked her Captain when their Lieutenant was going to return so she can read to her, even as Lisa had laid dying in the dirt. Outside their snug little spot, the voice of the afore-mentioned Captain went seeking high and low for the little lost vice-captain that had returned. They ignored him.

* * *

Leo flew in Loaded Form around the skies of Soul Society. The people of Soul Society were for the most part not accustomed to the incredibly modern weapons his Form sported, and he wasn't about to alienate them. Besides, he could do some scouting from where he was, and in case of an attack on Soul Society, he could assist from the back of the enemy. Yes, Leo had it all planned out.

Hovering slightly on the jet pulse from his thrusters, he caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye, and he raised one eyebrow. "Oh…?"

Locking the chamber on his launcher, he brought his favourite weapon, an incredibly powerful high-precision ionic pulse cannon that was mounted on his right shoulder to bear. He had copied it from a friend of his, MetalGarurumon X, and it started to hum as it absorbed the atoms in its surroundings, powering up the cannon. "Alright, whoever's there, you'd better come on out. Either that or you won't exist anymore."

Silence came from the direction of the movement he had seen, and the teen narrowed his eyes. A visor slid over his face, and the world through his eyes suddenly turned bright green, with patches of blue for souls and red for living humans. Scanning the area, he was surprised to come up with nothing. His lip curled up disdainfully. "Aizen… huh? Freaking illusions. I'd better go report to Kurai."

He flew back, but in reverse, so his back was to Soul Society and he was scanning the outskirts of Rukongai as he returned, but still he didn't manage to pick anything up. 'Kurai,' he sent in his mind. 'I gotta bad feeling. I saw a movement along the skirts of Zaraki, the 80th District. Scanners turn up jack all though.'

'Heh. Aizen?' Kurai's voice echoed in his mind. 'Leo, I want you on scout duty. Tell me if anything turns up.'

'Roger that.'

* * *

The peace lasted all of three days. In that time, Kairi made remarkable progress, mostly due to watching the play of energies when Sora and Riku duelled, rather than watching their actual movements. She found that by concentrating, she could control the energies within her body to a certain extent, and that helped, since instead of having to rebalance herself constantly, her body moved on its own to maintain a firm grip on the ground. She soon developed her own little style, which was a sort of mix between Sora's and Riku's, and an art of which was uniquely her own, a graceful dance that wrecked havoc, since the twirling keyblades gave no hint of their next target, making sudden lightning fast attacks possible.

She was still, for all her training, nowhere near the level Sora and Riku were. They duelled constantly, for hours at a time, with only brief rests in between. In those rest times, they sometimes came over and gave her instruction, then sat back, panting, to watch and guide her through some basic movements. The cavern floor was soon gouged almost bare by the ravaging energies that struck it, and the ceiling too bore the deep scratches of powerful beams of light and energy waves. Sora and Riku had both brought the manipulation of their respective elements, although technically Riku held both, to a new level, and frequently employed them in their fights. The resulting light show inevitably drew small crowds, sometimes even a Captain or two.

Once, Hitsugaya and Komamura, drawn by their curiosity, challenged Sora and Riku to a two on two duel. The resulting match was almost the stuff of legend: It had started off normally, then the scale of the battle had transcended enormously, with all four of them going into Bankai. For the many shinigami watching, this was the first time they had seen Daiguren Hyourinmaru and Kokujou Engen Myou'ou, being too caught up in trying to stay alive in the first invasion, and they were left slack-jawed as Sora's Bankai, which, after hearing the names of the Captain's Bankai's and consulting with Oathkeeper and Oblivion, he had called Hibane Tsubasa (A/N: Light Feather Wing. He had a bit of a consultation with Kurai, who knew Japanese, and helped him with it.), revealed that it could hold its own against both. Still the pressure they put on him was immense, with the huge iron giant of Kokujou Engen Myou'ou sending powerful but slow blows, while the sub-zero ice of Daiguren Hyourinmaru would have frozen him countless times over had not the black blades of Riku's Bankai, which he had called Kurokensatsu (A/N: Black Blade Kill. Same as Sora; had help from Kurai.), taken a hit or two for him. With Kurokensatsu duelling Kokujo Engen Myou'ou, he could fully concentrated on Daiguren Hyourinmaru, and the white and black blades of Hibane Tsubasa lit both night and day in the cold prisms of ice.

Kairi, on her part, had a little fun duelling against some of the weaker shinigami in Soul Society. Her skill wasn't great, but it was enough to defeat several lesser shinigami such as the Seventh Seat of the Fourth Division, Yamada Hanatarou, and she had a nice bout against the Vice-Captain of the Eighth Division, Ise Nanao, who was a master of Kidou. Kairi countered with fire, and in the heat of battle, she suddenly found she was cool and calm, gaining some control of ice. It was so spontaneous that she was surprised at first, but the sudden lapse of concentration cost her a bolt of lightning singing a few strands of her hair, and the power of ice was lost in the melting heat of the flames that were ignited in her. Her Bankai, which she had named, with the permission of Oathgiver and Eternity, Ayvuir (A/N: I have no idea what this means. It's the name of a sword in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift.), amplified her magical abilities, and with a pang of regret, she found she could sacrifice bits of the leafy vegetation that sprouted everywhere around her to cause bonfires to trap her enemies in.

"The controlling of the elements require you to be in tune with them, Kairi. Merely using incantations and waving your hand won't do anything. To use ice you must be as cold as a glacier. To manipulate wind you must be free as a zephyr. To master earth you must be firm as a rock. To bend flame you must be hot as a supernova." Oathgiver's voice echoed softly in her head, echoing strangely. "_Be_ the element, Kairi. Don't just command it. That'll get you nowhere."

Kairi nodded slightly, and with an enormous effort of will, she calmed herself down. The Princess dodged another bolt of lightning from the Kidou master, then listened to the crackling of it as it passed by. She memorized the shape of the bolt as well as she could, the way it spun through the air, almost like a drill of thunder, and she let the natural electric flow of the human body surge, and rise. "Thunder!" she shouted, flinging her hand down.

A burst of lightning shot down from nowhere, a small ball hovering above where Nanao had been standing as she dodged it easily, the magnetic field holding the ball in place above the above generating a current that manifested as a bolt of lightning connecting the ball and the earth. Kairi's eyes were wide. "I did it!"

"Don't get so excited now, Kairi." This time, it was Eternity. "You take too long to bend an element to your will. As you train, you will lessen the time, until soon, you will be able to use them at will, maybe even simultaneously."

Kairi nodded again, her face set into fierce determination as the fires in her built up again. 'Least I can always fall back on fire!' she thought fiercely. Her hair started to glow, and she pointed right where Nanao was standing serenely, gazing at her. "Here I come! Ancient Nova!"

A small ball of living flame descended from the ceiling, almost as though the rock had squeezed out a crimson tear, and Nanao's eyes narrowed behind her spectacles as she assessed the energy and power it held. "Bakudou no Rokujyuu Ichi, Rikujou Kourou." (A/N: Binding Spell #61: Six Bars of Light) Six bars of light appeared around the ball, even as it continued to descend, and with a blur of speed, they slammed into the ball. Nothing happened for a moment, then a huge explosion tore through the cavern, startling Sora and Riku where they were duelling, as usual.

With twin flashes of white and black light, the Wielders of Light and Dawn were by her side. "What happened?!" Sora shouted, picking Kairi up from where the force of the explosion had knocked her to the ground. Satisfied she was okay, he waved his hand, and a wave of light pushed the dust away, allowing him to see the extent of the damage.

"You're getting better at that, Sora." Riku looked up at his friend from where he was helping the shaken Vice-Captain to her feet. "You on the other hand, Kairi…" He slapped a hand to his head.

"Hey, I'm getting there!" Kairi retorted, stalking off with her nose in the air.

"Hoo boy…" Sora muttered.

Riku also seemed to see that he had hit a nerve. "Sorry, Kairi. But it's been three days. We need to get a move on. We never know when this Aizen and his cohorts are going to attack." His eyes twinkled. "But if you can loose one of those in the middle of those suckers, they won't know what hit them." He grinned evilly.

Sora stretched, his Bankai melting away as he rolled his shoulders. "Hibane Tsubasa… I wonder why Oblivion insisted on that name?" he muttered. He then glanced at Riku. "Hey Riku, you fought with that metal giant thing, right? Tell me, does it remind you of something?"

Riku shook his head. "No. I noticed that it copies every move the wolf guy does, which is how I managed to beat him. But it doesn't remind me of anything, no."

Sora's face held a frown as he tried to remember. "It reminds _me_ of something. I just wish I can think of it!" He grabbed the sides of his head. "It's so _infuriating!_ It's right there, but I can't see it! Like when Ansem…" He stopped. "I got it!"

He closed his eyes and thought back to when he had fought Ansem. There had been something… Ansem wasn't doing the fighting… "Hey Rik, what's that thing that's hovering behind Ansem? You know, when he fights? Ansem himself does pretty much nothing… It's that _thing_ that fights…"

Riku thought for a moment. "The Shadow Guardian? The Guardian?" Then his eyes widened. "I think I know what you're talking about, Sora. It might be hard, but I think we can do it… Maybe if we get Kurai to coach us how to increase our manipulation skill…"

Kairi, who had been eavesdropping while pretending to be still offended, suddenly cocked her head to one side, like a bird. "Did you guys feel that?" she asked.

Nanao, who had joined her, nodded. "I did too. An enormous force…" Her face was pale, and although she looked calm, her hands had started to shake violently. "Similar to when the Captain-Commander disabled me… Fifty years ago…"

Kairi glanced at the pale woman. "What… do you mean?"

Nanao closed her eyes, and with a visible effort, composed herself. "My Captain and Ukitake-taichou were doing what they felt was just. In hindsight, it was. But at the time, it could not be clear. I heard from Kyouraku-taichou that you three have been briefed on our history, about the events fifty years ago. Kyouraku-taichou and Ukitake-taichou destroyed the Soukyouku, which was on its way to destroy Kuchiki Rukia. Then they left, knowing what would happen. I followed. In the depths of Soul Society, right now, there is a large patch of burnt ground. That is where fifty years ago, Kyouraku-taichou and Ukitake-taichou fought Yamamoto-sou-taichou (A/N: Captain-Commander.)."

Sora's eyes were wide. "They fought the old man…?" he gasped in awe. "I remember those flames the last time I was here… How did they survive?! Especially Captain Ukitake, he's so frail!"

Nanao had a look of pride on her face. "Kyouraku-taichou and Ukitake-taichou are two of the most powerful Captains in Soul Society, in the current generation of the Gotei 13. They have been for the past century. Compared to them, I am nothing…" She cleared her throat. "I followed my Captain to the clearing. There, I sought to delay Yamamoto-sou-taichou."

Kairi was gazing at the slender woman with a look of immense respect. "You… You faced down _him?!_"

Nanao smiled softly. "I am loyal to my captain, Kairi-san. Even though his methods may be… unorthodox, he is very intelligent, and he probably foresaw the events that would follow. In any case, it wasn't much of a face down. All the Captain-Commander had to do was release his reiatsu." She shuddered a bit at the recollection. "It was… incredible. So powerful… I was on my knees, then lying flat on the ground. It was… so hard to breathe. If Kyouraku-taichou hadn't saved me, I would have been suffocated, and died there, by reiatsu alone. Kyouraku-taichou and Ukitake-stayed, and then…" She drew a deep breath. "Yamamoto-sou-taichou released his zanpakutou. Ryuujin Jakka."

As she said the name of the zanpakutou, the trio again heard the old voice, not a week ago when they had been training for Bankai in this very cavern. The crackling of smouldering flames, the immense pressure, how hard it was to breathe, even there, shielded by layers upon layers of rock. And this slim, delicate looking woman had been right there; Yamamoto had her in his sights. Yet she had stood, defiant, loyal to the last. And Kyouraku had rewarded her loyalty with her life, saving her and taking her away, far away so the rages of battle couldn't harm her.

"Wow…" Kairi murmured. Then she frowned. "But you said this feeling's 'like' Captain Yamamoto's. Does that mean it isn't…?"

Nanao frowned as well. "In all Soul Society, only two people, maybe three have that much reiatsu: Yamamoto-sou-taichou, Kurosaki-taichou and Zaraki-taichou. Yet I do not recognize this reiatsu signature… It feels so… dark…"

Sora grinned. "Kurai."

Nanao's eyes opened wide. "The Fallen Angel…? He has returned? Kyouraku-taichou said nothing about this…" Then her face cleared and she nodded. "But then, you three would not have been able to enter without him. I guess that does make sense. But this reiatsu… It's very far away. If I can feel it at this strength from this distance, he must be powerful indeed…"

Sora nodded. "Oh yeah," he said, still grinning. "He's pretty much the strongest person this side of the world."

"…Stronger than Yamamoto-sou-taichou…?" Nanao asked.

Sora thought for a moment. "Should be. Yeah, I think so. He downed that Vasto Lorde, remember?"

Riku was frowning. "Why would he release this much power…? It feels… angry…"

Kairi, who was more attuned to the spiritual pressures, was pale. "Angry…?" she murmured. "Riku, Kurai… He's… He's _furious._"

Riku and Sora exchanged looks. "Bankai!" they shouted in unison.

"Hibane Tsubasa!"

"Kurokensatsu!"

The two disappeared in flashes of white and black light, Riku's dome sliding neatly back into the ground, while Sora's wings spread in flight. Kairi looked after them with her mouth agape. "Wha… What just happened…?"

Nanao's brow was furrowed. "I think, Kairi-san… What has happened is… something terrible. Come. We will follow."

* * *

"_RYUUSENKA!_" (A/N: Dragon hail flower.)

Hitsugaya lunged forward, Daiguren Hyourinmaru roaring as the blade stabbed neatly into the huge rock before him. The boy Captain's eyes were wide and raving, the temperature in the immediate area at almost zero degrees Celsius. Ice ripped the rock apart, freezing it solid all on the outside, then exploding outwards from the inside, showering the place in icy debris.

Kurai wasn't happy either. His eyes were completely gold, and seven pairs of wings were on his back, with seven blades floating in a gentle circle around him. His mouth was bared in a feral snarl, and the energy pouring off him was so immense that only Captains were present at the scene. Anyone less would've suffocated.

"AIZEN!" Hitsugaya screamed. The temperature lowered even more, the Captain's emotions affecting the very weather due to Hyourinmaru. Storm clouds started to surge above the normally pristine sky of Soul Society, and ominous rumbles of thunder sounded.

"What. Happened." Kurai grated out each word harshly. His golden eyes were on the bloody body lying on the ground in the centre of the clearing. The badge of the Fifth Division Lieutenant was on the shoulder, but the normally brown wood was dyed red. Her face was ripped and mutilated, but her hair was intact as well, still in its distinctive bun, although it was all crimson instead of their usual dark brown hue. Her zanpakutou was shattered, the pieces stabbed crudely into her, the sorry remnants of the blade rammed up to the hilt into her heart.

"Kairi, don't look." Sora wrapped one wing around the Wielder of Love, holding her close, and even he averted his eyes. Riku's face was pale, but he continued to look resolutely at Kurai.

Leo, standing behind the team, was brooding, his eyes hooded. His hands were clenched into fists. 'Last night…?' he thought. 'Dammit! Was that it…?'

Unohana got up from next to the fallen Vice-Captain, her face full of grief. "She is dead, beyond my art to heal." Hitsugaya gave another roar of fury, and a huge sheet of ice smashed upwards, to disappear into the sky. A single bolt of lightning slammed downwards towards them, but Ukitake leapt in.

"_Nami kotogotoku waga tate to nare, ikazuchi kotogotoku waga yaiba to nare, Sougyou no Kotowari!_" (A/N: His zanpakutou, Truth of Pisces, is released with the command: "Every wave be my shield, every thunder become my blade.")

The single zanpakutou he drew glowed, morphing into its Shikai as it melted into two long swords with prongs halfway along the back of the blade bending back at him, connected at the pommel to each other by a long red cord lined with small charms. Lightning danced down the blades as he pointed them upwards, and the lightning bolt soaring down moved, smashing into Sougyou no Kotowari before dispersing. Ukitake stood unharmed in the middle of the violent clash, but when it had gone, he fell to his knees, stabbing both swords into the wooden floor next to him and retching heavily. Kyouraku was at his side immediately, Unohana just a few steps behind, and Yamamoto took an involuntary step to the man he had considered a son along with Kyouraku before regaining his composure.

"Juushirou, what _possessed_ you to do such a thing?!" Kyouraku asked fervently. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Ukitake smiled weakly at them. "I'm fine. Lightning can't harm me, but it was the sudden movement that upset my chest, I think. I'm fine, Unohana-taichou." He stood back up; plucking his swords from the ground, then resealed them in a golden glow.

Unohana stood still for a moment, then nodded and stepped back into her place in the line of Captains. Ichigo's face was a mask of rage, while Soifon looked completely shocked. Byakuya, as usual, had no expression, but his eyes were on the body, while Komamura was glaring at the sky. Zaraki looked completely bored, and Mayuri was still looking peeved. Presumably, he had been interrupted at another experiment.

"Sorry… Ukitake-taichou." Hitsugaya was obviously making a great effort to control himself. His eyes were still wild, and his voice was shaking with strain. "I… I'm not in a very good state right now. If you'll excuse me." He vanished in a streak of reiastu, and the area instantly became a lot warmer as the ice that had covered the place slowly melting away.

Kurai sighed once, and his eyes slitted back to silver. The wings vanished, and as the swords melted away, he looked up. "You can come down now, Rangiku."

The tall buxom woman nearly fell down on her way to the group, her legs wobbly and her face shining with sweat. "Phew! That was a lot of reiatsu… I had to use all I had to make sure I didn't pass out." She looked at the bloody mass and away again, her beautiful face creased with tears and a sort of helplessness. "…Poor Hinamori-chan… Is it who I think it is…?"

For a moment, Kurai's eyes shifted back to gold again, but then it faded. "Yeah. Aizen. Looks like he has an idea about what's going on, and is going to any lengths to delay us. I wouldn't be surprised if the Quincy Uryuu's bringing back run into a bit of resistance too."

A flash of white light lit the area, and everyone look in surprise at Sora, who had just stabbed Oathkeeper into the wooden ground. "So… This Aizen bastard… He did that…? To one of your friends…? To delay us…?" he asked, his voice calm although his head was bowed.

"And he might be doing the same every now and again? To _our_ friends?" Riku had a strange smile on his face. "You know, Sora, maybe it's time we took up a job as debt collectors."

Sora looked up then, and he was smiling as well, but there was an anger there that, although not as great as Hitsugaya's, was nevertheless a towering one. "Oh, that sounds like a good idea. Maybe we can make this Aizen be the first?"

Riku gave a mock sigh. "I doubt he has enough to pay… Maybe we can take something else from him?"

"I can think of one thing that might be able to pay… It'll be very humiliating though." Sora returned the seemingly playful, but deadly banter.

Ichigo shunpo-ed over next to Kurai. "Are you _sure_ these guys are only teenagers…? They're a little… scary."

"Oh, they're being very kind to him. If I don't let them have their way with Aizen, I might want to be the one to collect his debt, and I can assure you, Ichigo, my price is considerably higher." Kurai whispered back. "They don't have the five thousand years of experience I have." His face had the same grin that Sora and Riku were sporting. Ichigo winced and shivered. "Remind me not to get you three mad at me."

Matsumoto Rangiku, the Vice-Captain of the Tenth Division, looked at Kurai. "Ne (A/N: Kinda like a 'hey'.), Kurai-san. D'you think I better chase after Toushirou? I'm afraid he might do something stupid…"

Kurai passed a hand over his eyes. "Yes, go ahead. In fact, you'd better hurry. I'll send for my dragons to scout the area around the place. Aizen might be using Kyouka Suigetsu to cloak his presence, but dragons aren't fooled by such weak distractions."

"You call complete hypnosis weak?" Rangiku scoffed. "Well, I'm off then. It shouldn't be too hard to find; I can feel Daiguren Hyourinmaru from here." She vanished in a blur of reiatsu.

Kurai sighed. "This is getting worse. Aizen… Just what the hell are you planning?!"

Leo walked up to his mentor. "Kurai, there's something I need to tell you." He looked around. "Privately. Preferably in a place where you can break things without damaging anyone."

Kurai raised one eyebrow. "That bad…? Tch. Guess I'd better listen." He glanced at the Wielders. "You three, get back to the cavern. In this time, that's the safest place for you. Wide open places with few places to hide." He looked over at Kyouraku. "You mind erecting a barrier? A Kyoumon (Mirror Gate) should be enough. Easy to get out, hard to get in. We don't want them to be unable to get out if something happens."

The Captain of the Eighth Division shrugged. "If you say so." He turned to Ukitake. "You _sure_ you're feeling better?"

"I'm fine, Shunshui. You'd better go to that cavern. We can't make Kurai-san misplace his trust now can we?" Ukitake chuckled.

Kurai grinned, although his face was strained. "Heh. You guys'll be right. I guess I'd better get going." He looked at Leo, whose face was set. "Might as well get the bad news over with quickly."

* * *

"You're _joking _me!" Renji shouted. "That son of a…! He killed Hinamori-san?!"

Rukia's face was pale, but her lips were firm. "I'm serious. Ichigo just told me, and he thought you might want to know, having been a friend of hers back when she was in the Shinigami Academy."

Renji slumped back in his dorm pad, staring vacantly at the ceiling. "…How…?" he gulped.

Rukia shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. Her body was found outside the Tenth Division Headquarters, and Hitsugaya-taichou was the first one to find her. He went crazy, and summoned Daiguren Hyourinmaru."

"So _that's _why… I could feel it from the training grounds..." He buried his face in his hands. "Oh man… I wonder how Kira's gonna take this…"

"The thing is, neither Inoue nor that huge Vizard can do anything for her. They can reverse time and bring back the dead, yet they can't do anything for her. And there's no way that's Kyouka Suigetsu, because Sora, Kairi and Riku could see her and they haven't even seen Aizen before, let alone get hit by his Shikai."

Renji looked up sharply. "You mean he's found a way…?"

"To bypass the Souten Kisshun, yes. This is very bad. If someone were to get injured in the battle, we would need the Fourth Division on standby. But if _they_ get killed… Inoue can extend Souten Kisshun as far as she wants to, as long as someone supplies her with the reiatsu for it. The thing is, if it's been negated…"

Renji groaned. "Why is it _everytime _we get something good going, that four-eyed freak comes in and ruins everything?!" He buried his head in his hands again. "DAMMIT!" Tears had started to come forth.

Rukia could only look on helplessly, before she turned and left, her hand going unconsciously to the badge on her arm. She didn't tell him that the badge on Hinamori Momo's body, the one doused in blood, was hers, and had been taken from her room by Hinamori before whatever happened to her had happened. She didn't tell him that the badge she now wore was new. She hadn't told him everything. That even now, Izuru Kira was dying.

* * *

"So what was it you wanted to tell me, Leo?" Kurai asked. "Get it over with."

Leo opened his mouth, hesitated, then resolutely continued. "Last night, I was out patrolling like you told me to. Y'know, it's night and all that, so I had the nightvision on. Thing is, with the nightvision, I can't see reiatsu signatures. I didn't think I'd need it, didn't think anyone from the enemy would even think of entering a place where you were."

Kurai's eyes started to harden. "Was it Aizen?"

"I don't know." Leo's voice and face were helpless. "I saw Momo wake up from her coma. I didn't think it was anything major, since the members of the Fourth were all over her. They were going to keep it a surprise for Toushirou, s'far as I could tell. A major morale booster before that battle with Aizen. Medics have a funny way of thinking sometimes. But it's not a good idea to piss them off, since they're the ones I'm gonna have to go to if I'm injured, so I decided to stay silent. 'Bout halfway through the night, I felt a strange reiatsu signature around Momo's room. I didn't like it, so I double-tailed it there, both boosters. When I got there though, she wasn't there no more. I looked around, and saw her walking with Izuru. Well, they're old friends, so I thought I might just leave 'em alone." He slammed his fist into the wall. "I didn't think anything about the strange reiatsu signature, and with the nightvision on, I couldn't see Izuru's reiatsu signature. I guess I got complacent…"

Kurai swore loudly, and he punched a conveniently placed stalagmite, vaporising the huge monolith easily in a wreath of black flame. "Aizen!" After a while though, he had calmed down. "I'd better go see the Captains."

A small shadow flitted inside the cave they stood in, streaking over to Kurai. As it slowed and then stilled, Leo could see it was a messenger dragon, small and thin, with a black hue that enabled it to sneak in the shadows. It bent its head to Kurai's ear.

"Oh hell no." Kurai swore loudly even as the Fallen Angel's eyes were starting to slit back to gold. "Okay, that's it. I ain't happy, Aizen…!"

The Wielder of Darkness glanced sharply at Kurai as the dragon spread its thin wings and flew off. "What… What's going on?" Although he was afraid to ask, he knew he had to.

"It's Izuru. He's been poisoned."

Leo's eyes widened. "What…?!"

* * *

Unohana didn't like it. She was the Captain of a Healing Division, and if she couldn't heal a poison, a mere chemical that inhibits the body's natural reactions, then she wasn't fit to be one. Not even Mayuri could deduce the nature of the poison, except that it was likely to drag on, saying almost happily that it was a torture drug, and not a killing one, although it _will_ be fatal. He had even expressed interest in finding Aizen and learning how to make such a poison from him. Well, his exact words were to force him to show him how to make it, but those were minor details.

"Unohana-taichou…? What's wrong…? I feel fine now, there's nothing wrong…" Kira tried to reassure the Captain as she continued to sit, unmoving, next to his bed, staring vacantly at some point to the left of his head.

Next to her, Rose was leaning against the wall, his worried eyes scanning Kira's face. Love was sitting lotus style next to his friend, meditating as his ears unconsciously searched for any sounds of danger. "Rose, calm down. We have to wait, and watch." Rose nodded, but said nothing.

"Are you really feeling alright?" Unohana asked. "No headaches, pains or burning sensations?"

Kira shook his head. "None. I'm perfectly fine now." He inclined his head respectfully.

Unohana, nodded, though she was still full of doubts. The perceptive woman knew one thing now though: Aizen was targeting those he used to have in his Division. Next on his list: Renji.

* * *

"That bastard is going _nowhere _near Renji!" Ichigo proclaimed loudly. His hand grasped the hilt of Zangetsu as though to prove his point.

"Kurosaki, I believe the man in question is in _my _Division. His safety is _my_ responsibility." Byakuya's icy tone caused Ichigo to glare at him.

"Well well… Aren't we getting in ahead of ourselves?"

The Captains, who had assembled again sans Hitsugaya, who was shattering boulders in the training ground, spun around, with the sole exception of Yamamoto. Ringing sounds of steel on steel filled the room, and six swords were pointed at the entrance, the only Captains who hadn't draw arms being Yamamoto, Unohana and Mayuri. There, in the entrance, stood Urahara Kisuke, flanked by Shihouin Yoruichi and Tsukabishi Tessai.

"My my my… What a welcome I get after being gone for a century… Is this the standard protocol for Soul Society nowadays?" Urahara didn't seem the least bit phased, continuing to fan himself slowly with his fan.

Ichigo was the first to sheathe his sword, followed by Soifon, who ran straight to Yoruichi to envelop her in a hug. Ukitake and Kyouraku sheathed their swords too, followed by Komamura and a grumbling Zaraki, but Byakuya continued to point Senbonzakura unerringly at Urahara. "Your pardon has not been granted yet. How did you enter?"

Urahara smiled infuriatingly. "I've been here for the past week, Kuchiki-taichou! Tsk tsk tsk, your senses aren't as keen as they used to be, are they?"

"You-!" Byakuya stepped forward, but stopped as Yamamoto's reiatsu was released once, shattering through his intent to kill.

"Enough, Kuchiki-taichou. Tenshi, explain." Yamamoto's eyes flitted to the door.

Kurai's easy laugh came from outside it. "Busted." The tall angel walked in, accompanied by the tall figure of the Lost Seraph. Yamamoto's eyes widened considerably at the sight of the angel, and he actually stood up.

The Lost Seraph motioned to the old shinigami. "Sit thee down, Yamamoto Genryuusai-Shigenkuni, Captain-Commander of Soul Society. I mean thee and thine no harm. The time is nigh. Aizen, defiler of the throne of heaven, will be judged in two days hence. Know that it won't be thee or thine who will administer his fate, but one either angel or Wielder. Such has been decreed."

Yamamoto was clearly surprised. "Aizen is a shinigami, or was one. His punishment should be served to him by one of his ilk."

The Lost Seraph shook his head. "Nay. This duty is not thee or thine's. The Right Hand of Heaven will stand here in Soul Society when the time comes, and he will be flanked on the right by the Fallen, and the left by the Light. Thus shall he judge. But ere that can come to pass, thou must do me a favour."

"What is it…?" Yamamoto's tone was wary.

"As the Fallen Angel tells me, pardons have not been granted for these three loyal supporters of Soul Society from without," said the Seraph. "It would be an honour to me should thou see fit to pardon them for the crime of loyalty."

Yamamoto could see no way out now. "…I understand." He turned to the Captains, who were looking in awe at the Lost Seraph. Even Byakuya's eyes were wide. "With the Captains of the Gotei 13 as witnesses, and two angels of the Aethersphere present, I pardon the three fugitives, Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi, and Tsukabishi Tessai."

"We hear and witness." Still thoroughly bemused by the speed at which events had proceeded, the Captains present all voiced their witnessing. Byakuya suddenly turned to Yamamoto. "Sou-taichou, we need a written permission form from Central Forty-"

"Six? Got it right here. Signed and approved by all forty six members." Kurai grinned widely as he placed a document in front of Yamamoto. Then he turned to the three people standing at the door. "Well Kisuke, my old friend, I see you're pardoned now. Would you like your spot back?"

At this, Mayuri started, turning to glare at Urahara. The shopkeeper smiled mysteriously, letting the tension build. At the moment where Mayuri looked like he would burst, he craftily answered, "Oh, I might have been pardoned, but I don't necessarily have to stay in Seireitei now do I? In fact, I might even leave Soul Society. I have my little shop in Karakura you know, and without me to take care of it, it might get a little rundown. Besides I make a good living selling equipment to shinigami."

Soifon, still hugging Yoruichi and with no intention of letting go anytime soon, looked up at her former teacher. "Would _you_ like your spot back, Yoruichi-sama?" she asked.

"Nah. Too much hassle. It's much more fun this way, roaming the world as I see fit." She winked. "Maybe someday soon, when this is all cleared up, you'd want to come with me?"

Soifon's eyes lit up. "Really?!"

Yoruichi ruffled her hair affectionately. "Nah, only kidding." Soifon's face fell so fast it was almost comical. "You _do _have your responsibilities as Captain you know. In fact, you could say it's one reason I left." She gave Urahara a sidelong glance. Soifon did the same, only hers was more along the lines of a glare than a glance.

Tessai gave a small cough and bowed. "Ahem! I'll be leaving you then, Tenshi-dono, Taichou-dono, Lost Seraph-dono." He turned to Urahara and Yoruichi and bowed again. "Once I have seen to the Kidou Corps, Urahara-dono, I'll join you. Jinta and Ururu still need looking after, and that annoying modsoul needs keeping in line."

Urahara laughed. "Do as you see fit, Tessai-san. You only did just get here yesterday after all." He turned to Yoruichi. "Well then milady, I'll be off. I have three youngsters I need to take a look at. I haven't seen them for a day… I wonder where they went?"

"Try checking a crater in the middle of the cavern, blocked from your usual vantage spot by a huge boulder." Kurai grinned as he cut in. "I'm still wondering who had the idea first, but they've been learning how to fight in confined spaces lately. I wonder what _gave_ them the idea?"

"I'd say it was Riku-san. He has a good head for war that one. A good strategist. Sora-san on the other hand needs to learn some restraint. However, they're both proficient enough in battle, I guess. Do you think they're anywhere near strong enough to take on Vasto Espada?" Urahara asked.

Kurai frowned. "It's hard to say. They _did _beat Toushirou and Saijin in duels. But the Vasto Espada are beyond anything they have faced before. Urahara, remember that energy flux that warped Kidou spells all over Seireitei?"

Urahara nodded. "Yes, as a matter of a fact I do. Kuukaku didn't like it as I recall. Her fireworks exploded in her face."

The angel laughed. "Why yes… It was that time, wasn't it? Anyways, that was when Sora and Riku destroyed a being that, given time, could've overrun all the worlds, from here to where the three of them came from. Despite his power though, or maybe because of it, he was over-confident, and that was what led to his defeat. But I'm pretty sure Aizen knows something. He dares attack Seireitei while I'm here, and that's saying something."

"Couldn't you just go to Hueco Mundo and neutralize him there?" Urahara asked.

"I could, but it wouldn't be as much fun." Kurai's answering grin was fierce. "Anyways, I want Sora, Riku and Kairi to get some experience fighting some really tough opponents. I have an idea who gave Aizen the impetus to strike so soon after leaving, and he's no small fry."

"…This person sounds like someone we of the Gotei 13 cannot take on," Urahara observed. "Is that right, Tenshi-san?"

The Lost Seraph, who had been listening nearby, nodded. "This… being is not of the worlds. He was crafted from the souls of the lost Heartless and Nobodies, from the remnants of the evil left behind. Hollow and Tomogara, X data from the World of Darkness, a lost soul tormented by his own non-existence. To that end he would destroy all, and when all has been reduced to nothing, then he too shall not be alone, for all the worlds who don't exist will be as he is, nothing."

"Does he _ever_ talk without using riddles?" Ichigo whispered to Kurai.

"I don't know, why don't _you_ ask him?" Kurai mouthed back. "And to tell you the truth, I don't know anything much about this being, only that he's bad, and it's a he."

The Lost Seraph turned his head so that the visor of the helmet was pointed at Ichigo, giving the suddenly sweating Captain the impression that the immensely powerful angel was looking at him. He gulped. "Uh… On second thought, I'll pass."

There was silence for a few moments; the Gotei 13 were too overwhelmed by the pace of events, and the rest of them were caught up in their own thoughts. Tessai had left, and Yoruichi was leaning casually on the door, while Urahara continued to fan himself, almost as though it was on automatic. Then the Lost Seraph spoke. "I would see the victim of the neurotoxin."

Unohana's eyes widened. "A neurotoxin…? That explains it... I never thought it could have been a neurotoxin… That's why I couldn't heal him…" The normally calm woman slowly forced herself back into a shell of slightly shaken composure.

The Lost Seraph inclined his helmeted head. "We shall see. Come, mistress of healing. Lead the way."

Ichigo, watching the mighty angel walking alongside the re-composed woman and suddenly felt a surge of hope. Maybe they could pull through this after all.

* * *

Bleargh. My head hurts. Hope this one helped. Aizen... ruthless much? Now, Psuedo, hit me. The rest of you, review. xD


	40. Attack

Well, I suppose it's time for some action. No worries, I'll do my best to make sure it kicks some serious backside. xD Now, I'm going to stop replying to reviews here unless I see something really worth replying to, like Pseudo-daemonum's criticisms, or if someone asks a question that won't be answered in the duration of the fic. Might as well stick a disclaimer here now.

**Disclaimer: **Everything in my fictional work belong to their respective owners. Kurai is mine, as are the dragons, but Leo is the property of BlackChaos105 and Sora, Kairi and Riku belong to Square-enix. Y'know, the usual. Anything Bleach related belong to Kubo Tite, and anything Rave related belongs to Mashima Hiro. Kingdom Heats to Square-enix. Blah blah blah.

Story time.

* * *

"It's time to rock and roll." Sora's grin threatened to split his face in half, but no one could see it behind the armour that now covered the bottom half of his face like a mask, leaving air holes so he could breathe. Following Hitsugaya's template of Daiguren Hyourinmaru, he had created an effigy of a dragon around him, hiding his mouth and covering his body entirely until he looked like a dragon of star steel. That had involved some serious negotiation with Oathkeeper and Oblivion, who near choked themselves laughing as they heard his request. To his credit, he had nothing to go on except that one time he had seen Sephonia, so the dragon looked more like the magnificent beast of legend it should be rather than the horrific entity that resided in him. The auroras around Oathkeeper and Oblivion's keyblade selves were more pronounced now than ever, and they spun around slightly, almost like a drill that enhanced the offensive powers of Hibane Tsubasa.

Riku's eyes were calm as he gazed out on the huge horde of Hollows before them. "Why is it the bad guys _always _get a huge army, while we have to make do with less?" His dome was gone, but the immediate area around him was completely littered with swords, and instead of the generic blade-hilt-grip-pommel design of his old ones, each blade was unique, based off designs that could give him an edge in battle (A/N: Pun not intended.): swords with two blades side by side, undulating blades, double-edged blades for strength, huge two handed swords for brute force, thin rapiers for sliding and thrusting, and right behind him, a single massive double-edged sword that towered above even Kurai. Way to the Dawn hung motionless in the air next to him as Kurokensatsu surrounded him in a protective ensemble.

"I guess it's the quality that counts, not the quantity, Riku." Kairi laughed lightly as she leant back on a convenient stalk that sprouted from the rock under her floating feet. Her brow furrowed. "But guys… I'm… I'm not sure if I can kill someone, no matter how much they deserve it…" She waved her hand, and Ayvuir tore a part of the cliff they were standing on to shreds. "I can do that, but…" She trailed away, looking away up at the sky as the wind blew through her hair. At that moment, Sora couldn't tear his eyes away from her and how beautiful she was.

"Hey, keep your eyes on the enemy, Sora." Riku's whisper in his ear made him start, and he blushed furiously, looking away guiltily. Riku laughed softly. "Typical."

"To answer your question, Kairi, you can take care of the Hollows. The poor things have been suffering enough, so I guess you'll be happy to purify them?" Kurai came striding up behind them, silently approving their new, improved powers. Leo glided softly behind him, now in Bladed Form, his numerous swords and weapons glinting in the sun. "But there's one thing I want you guys to promise me."

The teens' eyes grew wary. Every time they had been asked to promise someone something, it usually involved their fun taken away from them. "…What?" Sora asked.

Kurai's face was deadly serious. "If an Arrancar steps out, even if it isn't an Espada, I want you guys to turn and run for it. One of us will be there to take care of it."

"WHAT?!" The cry of outrage rang through the sky. "You're gonna leave us outta the best part?!"

Riku glowered at Kurai. "Just so you know, we can hold our own ground. We've been doing that since we beat Xemnas, haven't we?"

Kurai nodded. "I know you have. But this isn't something you can take. The enemies you fought back on the Destiny Islands were Privarion Espada, Espada that have been demoted because they're too weak. The Espada you fought when you were here last time were on the verge of becoming Privarion as well, not to mention that you haven't fought a Vasto Espada before. And Aizen has been experimenting a lot; you won't be fighting mere weaklings like they were. Grimmjow, Nnoitra and Ulquiorra were the only ones worth mentioning, and even they can't do jack to these new guys Aizen'll be throwing at us."

He raised a hand, and a small creature plummeted from nowhere out of the sky to land on it. Its colour was pale, almost an exact copy of the blue of the sky, and it was pretty much impossible to see it when it was flying. The miniature dragon yawned, then turned to Kurai and cocked its head to one side in question.

"Keep your eye on these three. If you see them get into trouble, send for me, or one of the elite dragons." The dragon nodded, then cocked its head to the side again. Kurai shook his head. "Nothing else my little friend. Fly safe." The dragon nodded, then spread its spindly wings and took off. Sora noticed that even its miniature size didn't stop it having wicked looking talons on its claws, and he shuddered inwardly at the thought of them latching onto his skin, or heaven forbid, his face.

Leo grinned. "Don't look so disappointed. There're more than enough Hollows to go around. If you can get your backsides moving that is." His grin turned feral and he leapt up into the sky, daggers plummeting from hidden crevices on his spiked armour to draw first blood. "C'mon! You gonna let me have all the fun?"

Kurai rolled his shoulders and the cracking sounds it made freaked the four of them out. "Sorry, it's been a while since I've really loosened up. I'll probably be targeted by around three of the Vasto Espada at least, so it should be a fun little match." He grinned and flung his arm out to one side. Instantly, a pillar of black and white light engulfed him, and the Fallen Angel stood in his prime, with Betrayal in his right hand and Umou in his left, standing at the head of Soul Society. He threw his head back and a crashing roar thundered from his throat.

Ten dragons flew through the sky, so high up that they could only be seen as small moving specks that flashed as the sunlight reflected off their scales. But despite the distance, their answering roars were loud and clear, ringing a clear challenge through the sky at Aizen's horde.

Yamamoto, down on the battlements of the Seireitei, heard the roar of the dragons circling the area, and nodded. "Move out."

Soifon bowed. "_Hai!_" She disappeared in a flash of reiatsu, her Captain's robe abandoned in her room, dressed in her black combat suit as she led the Secret Mobile Corps out to draw blood. Whole groups of Hollows suddenly vanished in screaming clouds of spirit particles as the blindingly fast movements of Soul Society's elite advance force wiped them out.

"Start at level eighty and move down, stop at level four and move up, conserve your energy!" Tessai commanded his troops as the Kidou Corps moved up to the cliff of the Soukyouku. They raised their hands in unison and started chanting, and within moments, the first wave of kidou smashed into the Hollows. The advancing rank of Hollows were so weak that a single level eighty destruction spell could destroy more than fifty of them, blowing gaping holes into their ranks as they continued to march inexorably forward.

"First Detachment Force, moving to the right flank!" Komamura's huge bulk led his Division in the first charge as the Kidou Corps continued to provide them with cover fire. The Hollows leapt around them, but the huge bestial Captain easily flung them off, pulverizing even the larger Hollows with his bare hands, Tenken, his zanpakutou, roaring a whirling arc through the rest as his Division charged upon the enemies of Seireitei.

Second Detachment Force, out. Left flank." Hitsugaya's voice held no emotion at all, but the temperature in his immediate vicinity was considerably lower than anywhere else. Hyourinmaru's naked blade surged with an icy aura in his hand as he led his own Division out, circling around to fall upon the left side of the Hollow force. Rangiku, a look of worry on her face, shadowed her Captain, watching him to make sure he didn't do anything rash. Hyourinmaru tore huge rents in their skin, and they screamed, even as they were vanishing in a bloody cloud of their own spirit particles.

Then red beams arced through the air, appearing strangely black in the light blue sky. The dragons roared in warning, and the shout rang out: "Cero!" Immediately, the Kidou Corps started chanting in unison. "_Tenchi no chuukan mienai michi wo arute anata, kuu wo kuroidankuu ni sake! Akaiuma, kurotori, ginrei kojaku! Bakudou no Hachijyuu Ichi, Dankuu!_" (A/N: Ye who walks the invisible path between sky and earth, split the air in a black void! Red horse, black bird, lone sparrow on a silver cliff! Binding Spell Number Eighty-One, Splitting Void! I made it up myself, and if KT comes up with the incantation for it, I'll change it.)

The combined skill of the Kidou Corps rent the air apart, and the Cero beams were stopped as they slammed into the vacuum before the battling shinigami. The speed at which they were travelling was too great to be absorbed entirely, and they rebounded, smashing into the Hollow ranks and destroying their own comrades as they screamed and roared in anger and pain.

* * *

Sora shifted expectantly. "I think it's time we lent a hand to our friends down there, Riku." Oathkeeper and Oblivion twitched in his armoured grasp.

Riku nodded, reaching behind him to take hold of the huge sword stuck in the ground behind him. "Fine by me. I've been wanting to test this baby out for ages."

Kairi eyed the massive blade, then floated back a few paces and placed her hands on her hips, glaring at Riku. "You're not going _anywhere _near me with that big rustwagon of yours, you hear me?"

"…Rustwagon…?" Riku said incredulously, then shared a glance with Sora. "You know, I'm starting to see what you mean about the pressure, Sora."

Sora grinned again, shown only by the crinkling around his eyes. "Took you long enough." Kairi glared at him as well, and Kurai laughed.

The angel threw both his swords into the air, catching them deftly by the hilt as they flipped back downwards. "I don't know 'bout you guys, but I'm going in." His wings spread, and with a mighty push, he was off, soaring with unbridled grace and power through the air. Kurai's lip curled up, and a single ball of pure energy escaped the tip of Betrayal, detonating with incredible force in the very middle of the Hollows, instantly vaporizing them, while the outward blast of darkness absorbed hundreds more into nothingness. Leo flew next to his mentor and their fists connected, their grins almost mirror images of each other as the long thin whip-like sword Leo wore slung around his waist rippled out to rip into the Hollow ranks. As they passed over the Hollow army, the Hollows gave a huge scream, and everyone who heard it could feel the note of sheer terror and panic in it as they turned and tried to flee.

But they couldn't. Before them were the Seventh and the Tenth Division, above them flew the Fallen Angel and the Wielder of Darkness, and now behind them came the Eighth and the Thirteenth. Although their respective zanpakutou were still sealed, Kyouraku and Ukitake held the freed blades in their hands, and the light reflecting off them seared into the Hollows' masked eyes.

"You _sure_ you're feeling alright, Juushirou?" Kyouraku asked worriedly as he settled into his battle stance, one blade held vertically up before him, while the other sword of the daishou pair he wielded was held horizontally, hilt near the face, the back of the blade resting on the flat of the first sword.

Ukitake nodded. "I'm fine. What with you mothering over me, and Unohana-taichou releasing Minazuki to heal me, I'm as good as I'll ever be. Stop worrying. Shall we go?" He held his single sword casually, although his firm grip belied his countless centuries of experience.

Kyouraku looked visibly affronted. "_Mothering _you?! When have I ever done that, Juushirou?!" He moved almost unconsciously to one side, Katen Kyoukatsu effortlessly taking the head off a Hollow who charged at him.

His white-haired friend laughed. "Oh, you've been doing that ever since Yamamoto-taichou promoted the two of us to Captain. Don't you ever get tired of it?" He raised a single hand, taking the punch of a huge brute of a Hollow full on, but with a simple twist, water engulfed the Hollow, then lightning arced around it, enclosing it in a cage of thunder that imploded, destroying it in a loud shriek.

Kyouraku sniffed as he gutted a Hollow, then ducked under a fireball sent over his head by his Vice-Captain that incinerated another Hollow. "Careful there, Nanao-chan! You don't want to burn my hair off now do you?" He ducked under another fireball that the Kidou master sent at him. "And Juushirou, it's called '_concern_'."

The Captain of the Thirteenth Division stood back for a quick rest, watching with satisfaction as his Division surged upwards to take up the slack, the two Third-Seats, Kotetsu Kiyone and Kotsubaki Sentarou squabbling as usual over who had helped their Captain the most. "If you say so, Shunsui."

Suddenly, more beams of red Cero flew towards the Divisions, felling several of the weaker shinigami. Nanao, seeing the danger, shunpo-ed over to them and erected a hasty barrier, but the barrier couldn't last the barrage that was being constantly sent at them. Each blow sent her knee further to the ground, and her face was screwed up with the effort to hold the barrier. "TAICHOU!" she screamed. Then she felt a calm sensation as a pink haori fluttered somewhere in the corner of her vision.

"_Hana kaze midarete, kashin naki, tenpuu midarete, tenma warau, Katen Kyoukatsu._" (A/N: The flowering wind rages as the God of Flowers roars, the heavenly wind thrashes as the Demon of Heaven sneers, Flower Heaven Mad Bone.)

The reiatsu that exploded out of the Captain of the Eighth Division completely paralysed the numerous Menos Grande that lurked in the distance, their eyes suddenly wide with a primal fear as the pink haori flew off the broad shoulders of Kyouraku on the winds around the Captain. Now he was truly a Captain, wearing the white haori of the Gotei 13 Captains, standing in front of his Vice-Captain as he stopped the Cero barrage with one of the falchions he now held instead of katanas.

"_Daijoubu ka, _Nanao-chan?" he asked. (A/N: Are you alright?)

"Taichou…" His lieutenant murmured, then fainted. Several lesser shinigami ran up to her but he waved them off. "Take care of the minor Hollows. I'll finish off the Menos." He vanished in a swirl of reiatsu.

Sakura petals danced with the momiji, and the cherry blossoms and maple leaves flew on a soft zephyr through the blue sky as Kyouraku appeared on top of the head of one of the Menos Grande. He didn't move, but the flowers and leaves wrecked a bloody mass in the Menos Grande he stood on, before moving on and separating into two paths that tore through the rest of the Menos Grande. Then he raised Katen Kyoukatsu and slashed down in an 'X', and the motionless Hollows suddenly screamed in agony as they vanished into spirit particles, leaving Kyouraku standing on a reiatsu platform under his feet as he resealed his zanpakutou, expertly sheathing the two swords as he vanished again, reappearing next to Nanao. "Ne, Juushirou. Can I trust you to take care of this place for a while?"

Ukitake nodded, smiling gently. "No problem. Leave it to me."

With a swoop of wings and a sudden draft, Kurai landed next to them. "Shunsui, how's Nanao?" he asked, disembowelling a careless Hollow with invisible speed.

Kyouraku smiled at him. "None the worse for wear. Just a little over-taxed. I keep telling her not to strain herself, but my Nanao-chan's never been one to do things by halves."

Kurai grinned back. "Well, I'll cover you. Get her back to the Eighth's HQ. We don't know when the Arrancar will be surfacing, and I'd rather like to keep casualties at a minimum." He spread his wings and flew off again, Betrayal and Umou glinting in the sun. A sudden flurry of motion rippled through the Hollows and a clear path of bodies lined the way to the Eighth Division's Headquarters. Kyouraku nodded his thanks at the angel and disappeared, leaving his pink haori on the ground.

* * *

Sora and Kairi were fighting together, the energy blades twisting and warping around the arms of Hibane Tsubasa contrasting sharply with the razor leaves and flowers of Ayvuir. Sora was standing back, letting Kairi have her fun and experience, coaching her as he did.

"Don't try to rush in, Kai. That's it. Stay back, and let Ayvuir do the fighting for you. It's safer that way." His concern showed in his blue eyes, but he forced himself to stay back, every now and again absently dodging a blow from an ambushing Hollow and destroying it with a casual slash.

Kairi grinned viciously. "I got it now, Sora!' she cried. Ayvuir started to spin dangerously around her, whirling outwards in a brilliant arc of slicing leaves as the circle expanded. Sora spread his wings, leaping off into the sky as he watched her fondly. 'She's picking it up fast…' he thought.

* * *

"_Unare, Haineko!_" (A/N: Growl, Ash Cat!)

Ashes choked the sky as the Vice-Captain of the Tenth Division released her zanpakutou. Rangiku ducked under another hurtling fist, and the ashes tore the Hollow apart, reducing it to spirit particles that floated free on the wind. She wiped her brow with the pink sash around her waist and neck, then mouthed a quick incantation, loosing a weak Hadou (A/N: Destructive.) spell that nevertheless was incredibly effective, destroying the target it was aimed at with a well-placed hole in the mask.

"Taichou! You're too far out!" she shouted at the boy Captain. However, the white-haired boy didn't hear her, or pretended not to, Hyourinmaru continuing to surge in breaking waves. Even without releasing it, the incredible power of the strongest ice elemental zanpakutou in all of Soul Society was asserting itself, laying left and right with misleading ease, tearing the Hollows into pieces too small to be counted as Hitsugaya continued to rip into the Hollow ranks. "Taichou!"

The ashes around her started to contort as she focused her will, forming a raging tornado as they cut into the flesh of the Hollows, tearing large chunks out of them as she forced her way to her Captain. "Hitsugaya-taichou! Calm down, you're too far out! Yamamoto-soutaichou assigned you to the left flank, not the centre!"

Then black blades sheared the surrounding area clean, and Riku floated down, glancing at the Captain and understanding. "That girl. That we found. She was special to him…?"

"Hinamori-chan…? Yes, she was… She was his only family when he was young, along with a grandmother. I can even go so far as to say that he loved her more than a sister. I don't know if she feels the same way, and now we will never know…" Rangiku's voice choked for a second, then she continued, "Hinamori-chan was the Vice-Captain of the Fifth Division before Rukia-chan, as I'm sure you've been told. Then, the Captain was… Aizen." Her voice shook again, but this time with rage, and an unexpected sadness. "She trusted him, with her life, and more besides. Hinamori-chan is convinced that his defection wasn't of his own will, that he was being manipulated."

Her hand clenched tighter around the hilt of her zanpakutou, and the raging ashes started to spread out, clearing a wide area around them. "He repaid that trust by stabbing her through the chest, close to her heart. He did the same to Hitsugaya-taichou too. If Unohana-taichou hadn't been there to heal them, I doubt either of them would have survived… And now, he's returned, and finished off what he couldn't do the first time round." Her beautiful face was tight, her eyes blazing. "He's poisoning Izuru, planning something for Renji. What it is, we won't know until he actually does it, so we can't predict it and prepare safety measures. Kuchiki-taichou is taking this very seriously. Renji is shadowed wherever he goes, even into the toilet, although the guard doesn't look. And we have guards for that guard too. That angel that came with Kurai-san, he healed Izuru, although he can't fight at the moment. Whatever Aizen's planning, he's going to have to do it soon, or we'll win." She allowed herself a vicious grin.

Riku nodded. "Stand down. This place is mine."

Rangiku looked at him in surprise. "Excuse me…?"

The silver-haired teen turned away from her, a ghost of a grin on his face. But his eyes, like hers, were tight. "I said stand down. This place is mine." He raised his hand, and the huge blade that had been stuck into the ground behind him on the cliff burst out of the ground, followed by a trail of swords. Way to the Dawn shimmered into existence into his right hand as he gripped the massive sword with his left, and wielding it as though it weighed nothing, which in a sense, it did, he whirled into the Hollow mass, reducing them to particles in seconds before moving on, carving a straight path to the boy Captain, who had been startled by the burst of reiatsu behind him as Riku summoned his blades.

"Captain Hitsugaya, I'd like to escort you back to the battlements." Riku's voice was polite, but would take no argument. "Come with me."

Hitsugaya glared at him. "This is none of your business!" He levelled Hyourinmaru at Riku's throat.

Riku's eyes narrowed. His hand flickered, and Way to the Dawn knocked Hyourinmaru away from him while the huge blade was poised against Hitsugaya's neck. "I'm _making_ it mine."

Reiatsu swirled around Hitsugaya as he shunpo-ed away, and the temperature dropped till any Hollows he touched were frozen to the core instantly. His eyes were wild, and he leapt up into the sky, a long chain with a crescent moon-shaped blade at the end wrapping around the black sword. "_Souten ni zase, Hyourinmaru!_" (A.N: Reign upon the frozen sky, Ice Ring.)

His overflowing reiatsu trailed from the blade, forming an icy wave that lashed out at Riku. Riku, on his part, disappeared in a black flash, reappearing in the sky above Hitsugaya. He held out one hand, and balls of darkness rocketed out of his palm as he targeted the enraged Captain.

"Riku-san, no!" Rangiku shouted as she ran up under them.

The Wielder of Dawn blocked another wave of ice as he dodged the sickle blade, shaking his head. "Sorry Rangiku, but the Captain has to be brought under control. You might want to get out of the way. I'm not intending on leaving the Hollows unharmed."

Rangiku's eyes widened as Riku's dome, which had been hidden in the ground, yawned upwards, enclosing a huge area and all the Hollows within, her included. A small slit opened in the dark wall. "Go. It's gonna get dangerous."

The busty woman nodded. "_Arigatou_, Riku-san." She turned and shunpo-ed to the exit. Right before she left, she turned back to look at her Captain, just in time to see Riku skilfully engage him in melee combat. "Take care, you two…" she murmured, then leapt out, beheading three Hollows in the process.

* * *

"What is he doing?" Yamamoto asked Kurai, who had landed next to him, and was grinning to himself as he looked out at the horde, which had been significantly reduced. The old man's eyes were on the black dome that had sprung up near the centre of the horde, and he could feel the two conflicting reiatsu, one almost alien to him, which as Riku's, and the other the familiar ice cold reiatsu of Hitsugaya.

Kurai looked at the dome, then shrugged. "Beats me. From what I think though, Toushirou lost it. I'd stay out of the way for now: Let Riku do things his way. He knows what he's doing."

The Captain-Commander glanced at the angel. "I hope _you _do, Tenshi."

Kurai laughed. "Relax. Let the adrenaline do the talking." Then his face grew sombre. "But I've been wondering. Why didn't Aizen commit his forces? Just these little Hollows, what is he planning? Why aren't there more Menos? I don't see a single Adjuchas, nor any Vasto Lorde or Arrancar. No Espada, no Privarion. Not even the Exequias. This is too quiet for my liking, Genryuusai."

The old man nodded. "I thought as much."

Kurai continued, "My opinion is we should call the Divisions back, and send out the hard hitters. Finish the place and clean up, so we don't have distractions when the real fight comes. We'll need the Eleventh and the Sixth to take over from the Seventh and the Tenth, and send the Fifth to relieve the Eighth and the Thirteenth. Tell your guys to stay out of their way. They've been doing this for a long time now."

Yamamoto nodded again. "We'll do it your way, Tenshi."

Kurai looked wistfully at the sky. "I wish the Lost Seraph didn't have to go back to the Aethersphere. He'll be back though, so I guess we can only wait." His face darkened. "But for the Right Hand of Heaven to have to come here to take Aizen down… How bad can this get?" He watched as his dragons easily destroyed the few flying Hollows that were left, then continued their vigilant scouting.

* * *

The battle was over as soon as the 'hard hitters', as Kurai put it, entered the fray. Rangiku, acting in place of her Captain, ordered the Tenth Division to pull back, while Komamura did the same on his side, his Lieutenant, Tetsuzaemon Iba, echoing his orders down to the fighting shinigami of the Seventh Division. Ukitake retreated with Kyouraku after he returned, looking at Ichigo with some relief as the orange-haired Captain grinned at his mentor. "Yo, Ukitake-taichou. The medication starting to wear off, is it?"

The Captain coughed and nodded. "Yes. My illness is a little tiring, isn't it?"

Ichigo shrugged Zangetsu off its customary unsheathed place on his shoulder, grinning. "So why don't you stand back and let me handle this?"

Kyouraku laughed. "With pleasure. I want to go see my Nanao-chan anyway."

On the other side of the remaining Hollows, Zaraki was grumbling as he tore his way through them, looking extremely put out. "_Che!_ They're all so weak, I might's well go look for Four-Eyes straight out!"

Byakuya ignored him, although that was probably because he couldn't hear him, being separated by more than a few Hollows. However, the cold Captain easily dispatched them, using skills from at least three of the four shinigami disciplines to shunpo behind them, taking down several in one hit, then dousing the surrounding area in flame, all the while with no emotion on his face.

Renji flailed around with Zabimaru already released, the long segmented zanpakutou rippling through the air and even the ground as it smashed into the Hollow ranks, ripping them into shreds. "That's for Hinamori-san, you bastards!" he shouted. As of the moment, he still had no idea that the Vice-Captain of the Third Division was lying comatose after an extended treatment by Unohana and the Lost Seraph. He barely even knew how much danger Soul Society had assumed he was in, and it was one reason he was on the frontlines fighting, despite an almost order from his Captain.

The Vice-Captain of the Eleventh Division was, as usual, perched on her Captain's shoulder, the diminutive girl giggling happily as her Captain shore easily through the lower ranked Hollows. "Go get them, Ken-chan!" Yachiru giggled.

* * *

Kurai, watching them dismantle the Hollows; suddenly felt a dark surge on the very edge of his consciousness, just as his dragons roared out a warning. "…Damn." His eyes flashed over to the fringes of the battle, and widened as he saw a barely discernable blur moving at high speed through the Hollow ranks. His eyes widened. "Get the hell out of there, Ichigo!" he shouted, even as he leapt from the battlements where he had been standing with Yamamoto.

The old Captain looked at him in startled surprise. "Tenshi, what's wrong?"

"No time to explain!" Kurai shouted over his shoulder as his wings appeared with a brilliant flash, even as he plummeted to the ground below. "Tell Ichigo, Zaraki and Byakuya to pull back, now!"

Caught by the urgency in the angel's voice, the old shinigami nodded. "Fifth Division! Sixth Division! Eleventh Division! Pull back! Fall back to Seireitei!" His voice, amplified by a kidou, easily reached the battlefields, booming like a divine god as the three Captains looked back at him in surprise.

"What the…? We only just got out here!" Ichigo protested.

"You heard him, get back!" Kurai shouted, blurring into existence next to him, Betrayal blocking a long thin dark blue sword from beheading Ichigo. "Lucia…" he growled.

"Kurai Tenshi. The Black Angel. We meet again." The crimson eyes of the Dark Bring Master leered at the Fallen Angel. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Too bad it couldn't have been longer." Kurai added more force onto Betrayal, and his superior strength sent Lucia backwards, skidding across the ground. "Ichigo, go Bankai. Now."

Ichigo nodded. Holding Zangetsu straight out, he gripped his right arm with his left hand. The long bandage trailing from the pommel wrapped around his arm, trailing out behind him as his eyes started to glow blue with his inner legacy. "Ban-!"

Then Lucia suddenly appeared in front of him. "Sorry, but I'd prefer it if you didn't join in." The blue blade slashed across the Captain's chest, sending blood flying even as Kurai flashed next to Ichigo, Betrayal snaking out to stab Lucia's shoulder.

"Dammit!" Black tendrils started to smoke out from Kurai's fingers as they wrapped around the gash that tore from Ichigo's shoulder to his waist.

"Like that's gonna stop me." Ichigo grinned, although the pain showed clearly. "-Kai!"

Blue reiatsu exploded around the Captain, forcing Lucia back, who was now frowning. But the crimson-eyed fighter merely shrugged. "Oh well, guess I'll have to deal with the worms now instead of later."

The familar black robes wrapped around Ichigo, his Captain's haori discarded on the floor. Instead, on the back of his black Bankai robes was emblazoned in white the symbol of the Fifth Division, much like how it was etched in black on his white haori. Tensa Zangetsu gleamed in the sunlight as the blood-covered Captain grinned, his wound receded until it was only a scar. "Well, time to get this show on the road." He vanished, and Lucia spun around, the blue sword he held glancing off Tensa Zangetsu as he was sent flying back.

Kurai grinned viciously. "Silfarion doesn't make you fast, Lucia, it just makes you so light that you can move faster than usual. But being light means you're a pushover, since Ichigo's Bankai does the same thing without sacrificing his weight."

Lucia scoffed. "Kurai Tenshi, you seem to have forgotten about my Decalogues." His eyes suddenly turned crazed. "Haven't you?!"

Kurai's eyes widened as the blue blade he held, Silfarion, warped into another shape. "Oh shi-!"

He ducked in, grabbing Ichigo and flashing away just as a black energy wave smashed the earth apart. Spinning around in mid-air, he flung his hand out to the side. "Come to me Etherios, the sword of Etherion!" The huge black broadsword came out of the rift he opened point first, hurtling through the air and ricocheting off the curved, wicked-looking black blade in Lucia's hand to Kurai, who deftly caught it. "…Sacrifar…?" he murmured. "Lucia… Are you that desperate?"

* * *

Riku deftly dodged another stab from Hitsugaya that would've frozen him solid had he been hit. It was getting to be second-nature to him now. For the past ten or so minutes he had been goading the Captain into attacking him, then dodging the subsequent attacks from the enraged boy as he destroyed the surrounding Hollows. This served both the purpose of honing his already sharp reflexes to a fine edge, as well as allowing the Captain of the Tenth Division to release some of his pent up rage. Too bad there was so much of it.

"Is that all you can do?" he mocked. Way to the Dawn carved a black arc in the air, trailing darkness behind it as it solidified and streaked through the air to strike Hyourinmaru, making the sword ring in Hitsugaya's hand. "Please. I can see why you're still just a boy."

That did it. Hitsugaya had never liked people calling him a boy. "Bankai!" he screamed. "Daiguren Hyourinmaru!" Ice flowed from the long naked blade in his hand, wrapping around him into a shape that looked almost familiar from when Riku had been duelling with Sora. He leapt forward again, his wings providing an extra burst of speed. "Ryuusenka!"

Riku grinned. "Time to get some tension loosed." The ground slightly before and under him exploded, and the huge black blade smashed upwards. Grabbing it by the hilt, Riku dodged neatly to one side as the raging Captain stabbed forward, and in the same motion, he brought the flat of the sword swinging around to slam into the back of Hitsugaya's head. "Goodnight."

Then he felt the reiatsu flare outside his dome. His silver eyes narrowed. "What's going on…?" Recalling his dome into the ground, he grabbed the unconscious boy Captain, and disappeared in a flash of black light, reappearing on the battlements.

"Rangiku, take care of him. I'm going to see what's going on out there." The startled woman nodded, taking her Captain and calling for the Fourth Division. "Don't worry. I didn't hurt him, just knock him out. He's gonna have one hell of a headache when he gets back up though, so I'd suggest an ice pack." Riku grinned at her, then opened a portal of darkness. "I'm off."

* * *

Sora was giving Kairi some pointers on the fine art of slicing and dicing. "No Kai, you're not supposed to use too much strength. The keyblades will do the sealing of their hearts, so you don't need an overly strong attack. Technically, a light tap should do, but that's not as much fun. If you use too much strength though, soon, you won't have the strength needed for a longer battle."

Kairi's face was screwed up in concentration, the Radiant Princess utilizing both keyblades and vines in an intricate dance that tore through the Hollows. A thought struck her, and she leapt up into the sky. "Ayvuir, Ancient Nova!" she shouted, her hair glowing red again. A single small ball of living red flame descended into the Hollow ranks as Sora's eyes widened. "Oh… boy." Immediately, he wrapped his wings around himself. The explosion wiped out quite a few of the Hollows, reducing the milling horde to less than a tenth of its former size.

"Heehee! I did it!" Kairi whooped as she glided up to where Sora was still in his cocoon of star steel. Pouting, she rapped on it. "Hey Sora! Don't be a party pooper!"

Warily, the Wielder of Light unfurled first one wing, then the other, grinning his trademark grin at the redhead Princess. "That was dangerous! You really shouldn't just throw that out whenever you want, Kai."

Kairi smirked as she folded her arms, and a single ball of flame hovered behind her head, seeming to mirror her expression. "You were saying…?"

"No dear. I said nothing." Sora backed away hastily, not even noticing the words that came out of his mouth until the fireball disappeared with a soft pop and the Princess' face turned the colour of red wine. "I mean… uh…" he stammered, lost for words. But Kairi floated close to him, and placed her finger on his lips.

"Shh… You don't need to say anything." Then she gently pecked him on the lips before turning around and fleeing, giggling as Ayvuir flailed wildy around her, Oathgiver and Eternity glowing with a bright crimson light as she left Sora looking slightly dazed.

* * *

"Etherios…? That jack blade that was shorn off Ravelt? Please Tenshi, you can do better than that." Lucia's red eyes glinted as they bored into Kurai's cool silver ones, the sword in his hand now a huge black sword that looked similar to Etherios, but with a crossguard that looked like it was made of green creeper vines, almost alive, with a single purplish stone glowing in the centre. "My Decalogues knows no adversary, Tenshi. Why don't you just give up now?"

Ichigo spat on the ground, then levelled Tensa Zangetsu before him. "I don't know what bull crap you're spouting, but bastards like you piss me off! Getsuga Tenshou!" Slashing downwards, the thin black sword roared as the huge black wave ripped through the ground as it sped to his target.

"Futile." Lucia raised the sword he called Decalogues, and it started to warp again. This time, the blade was dark green, glowing with an aura of the same colour, and the blade was rippled and jagged like waves, with an ancient design emblazoned just below the silver guard. "Runesave!" Slashing down with the green sword, the Getsuga Tenshou raging towards him was suddenly cut in two, spiralling away on both sides of him to slam into the Hollows behind him.

"It's no use, Ichigo." Kurai's voice was hard. "Fall back. I'll take him." Liquid black flame started to flow around him, originating from Etherios as he swiped Betrayal through the air, opening a rift and throwing it in. "Endless Form." As he said it, he raised Etherios in the air, his eyes fixed on Lucia.

Etherios started to glow with a bright white light, and eight balls of light surged off it, falling down to float around the Fallen Angel in a circle. He raised his head. "Leo!" he shouted.

From high above, riding on a dragon, Leo answered, throwing eight swords from his Bladed Form into the air. They arced high into the sky, before plummeting down to plunge into the orbs, one in each. The light enveloped them, before changing them into entirely different swords.

On Kurai's immediate right, the sword became a blunt orange sword with black markings on the blade, with a red guard shaped in a way to protect the wielder's hands. Next to it was Silfarion, and on Silfarion's right was the green sword named Runesave. Further on was a pair of sword, both the usual black with a silver edge, but their guards were similar to Betrayal, shaped like a dragon head, and blue flames danced down the blade of one, while red fire embraced the steel of the other.

Next to them, behind and slightly to the left of Kurai, was a large claymore with two half-circles cut out of the black blade's edge near the tip. The guard was in the shape of what looked like branches, almost antlers that curved along the grip, while an elaborate white cross was etched on the blade. Beside it was a huge zweihander, a steel grey blade with a black edge with a large square guard draped in chains. On the extreme left of the circle was a golden blade that hummed softly, emanating its own sunlight that lit up the area even brighter than the sky above, with a guard almost like a cloud that softly wrapped around both blade and grip. Finally, on Kurai's immediate left was the black sword that Lucia had been using earlier, the one Kurai had called Sacrifar, a wicked black blade curved in ways that looked painful.

Lucia sneered. "Is that all, Tenshi? Nine swords? I thought you'd have _ten!_" As he said the last word, he leapt forward, Silfarion again shining blue in his grasp as his body flickered in and out of view, moving so fast that it was almost impossible to see him.

"Che. You think I'm gonna let you get all the fun, Kurai?" Ichigo shot at the angel. His hand raised above his head, and white reiatsu started to pool into it. "Not a chance." He swiped his hand down over his head, his Vizard mask materializing out of nowhere just as Tensa Zangetsu came up to ricochet off Silfarion. "You're mine! Getsuga Tenshou!"

Lucia's sneer grew more pronounced as Ichigo unleashed the massive black wave of power. "Haven't you learned your lesson yet? Runesave!"

Suddenly, Kurai was there, the huge grey zweihander in his hand as the green Runesave slit the Getsuga Tenshou in two again. "Lucia, why have you come here?"

"I go where I want, Tenshi." Lucia's tone was sarcastic. "Didn't your wonderful dragons tell you that I'd be here?" He swung around, Decalogues morphing into an almost identical copy of the zweihander. The only difference was that his was darker, as was the case of every sword he had. Each sword he wielded was an almost exact copy of Kurai's, just darker in colour. "Gravity Core!"

Suddenly, the gravity in the immediate area was altered, turning to a sideways pull that made Lucia's swing even faster than it would've been normally, despite the huge size of the sword. Kurai easily countered, and the gravity changed once more, going the opposite direction now as Kurai's swing threatened to decapitate Lucia, but which he blocked with his own Gravity Core as the blow sent him flying back.

Poor Ichigo was caught in the centre of the seething gravity, and he felt himself being pulled every which way by forces that he couldn't even see, unnerving him to the core. "Kurai! It's up to you!" he shouted before he shunpo-ed away.

"You can't beat me, Lucia." Kurai wasn't even breathing hard as he exchanged blows with the Dark Bring Master. "You're a couple hundred years too early for that."

Lucia laughed maniacally. "Beat you? I can't, naturally. But I can _delay_ you."

Kurai's eyes widened. "Oh hell no."

* * *

Once more, Cero beams tore the sky apart, smashing into the shinigami ranks as they incurred massive casualties. The Captains made a spearhead formation, gathering the shinigami forces behind them as they used their immense power to redirect the Cero beams.

The Twelfth Division members started to cry out warnings, just as a thundering roar from the circling dragons echoed down from the sky as they wheeled and flew straight down. "The scanners are picking up something! Red dots! They're red!"

"ESPADA!"

The shout rang out from the Twelfth Division's HQ, echoing through the battlefield. Kurai growled. "Lucia…!"

"Hehehe…" Lucia chuckled. "Looks like I outsmarted the great Tenshi Kurai this time, didn't I?" Black flame sprouted around Kurai again as his eyes turned gold. "Oh? Looks like my job is done. I'm outta here." Decalogues warped into Silfarion, and he turned and fled from Kurai.

A small movement caught his eye, and even as he turned to face it, Kurai's own Silfarion stabbed in, sliding through the Dark Bring Master's guard and piercing his shoulder. "Che." Decalogues morphed again, and an explosion rocked the area as a blunt orange-maroon blade made contact with the sky blue one, sending Kurai's lightened body back.

Kurai's eyes blazed. "Combination Technique: Twelve Wings of the Explosive Dragon." Those watching were treated to a light show as Kurai's Silfarion warped, and another sword, the one that had been on Kurai's immediate right, came zooming in. They merged, and for a split second, watchers could see Etherios in the middle, warping into both Silfarion and the orange sword, Explosion, at once. Twelve speeding balls of orange energy shot out of the blade, streaking over to Lucia, who cut them down with Runesave. But it cost him precious time. With a burst of speed, Kurai was behind him, his already immensely high speed heightened by the Silfarion blade he now held.

"Die." Kurai stabbed forward again, Explosion and Silfarion in his hands as the other seven swords started to whirl around him. To his surprise, the swords passed straight through Lucia, leaving behind a wisp of a shadow. "Lucia!"

"_Kudakero, Kyouka Suigetsu._" (A/N: Shatter, Mirror Flower Water Moon)

"Too bad, Tenshi." Kurai spun around, and his golden eyes narrowed as he saw Lucia leaning casually on the leg of a wyvern. The surrounding area was scorched in flames, and the bodies of shinigami littered the area. "Looks like I got the better of this exchange, right Aizen?"

"Indeed."

Standing on top of the wyvern was the person who had haunted Soul Society for the past 50 years, ever since his betrayal along with his subordinates. Ex-Captain of the Fifth Division, traitor to Soul Society, murderer of Hinamori Momo, leader of the Espada. Aizen Sousuke. His brown hair fluttered slightly in the wind, but his eyes were completely devoid of any kindness, only a thirst for power was left in them. Dressed in a uniform that was virtually identical to those that his former Espada had worn back when they had invaded Soul Socitey around a week back, the wielder of the zanpakutou that can cause perfect hypnotism smiled without mirth down at the Kurai.

The area immediately around Kurai was reduced to liquid slush as the black flames around the angel converged, then exploded, surrounding the Fallen Angel in almost liquid heat. "AIZEN!" he shouted, lunging forward.

"Hadou no Kyuujyuu, Kurohitsugi." (A/N: Destructive Art Number 90, Black Coffin.)

The level ninety spell that had defeated the Captain of the Seventh Division, Komamura, in one hit flared up above the fingers of Aizen, and black shreds of energy wrapped around Kurai, trapping him within as more black wisps formed spears, piercing him in a blur of movement. The iron-maiden like spell dissipated, leaving Kurai standing in the middle, blood dripping from numerous holes in his body. .

"Is that all?" Kurai mocked. White light surrounded him, and when it faded, his injuries had gone. "Now it's _my_ turn." He vanished, reappearing behind Aizen and slashing forward with Explosion. The ex-Captain spun around, his hand flickering outwards as he stopped the orange blade bare-handed, but the explosion that blossomed in the middle of his palm pushed him back. "Surprised?" Kurai asked. "You really should get used to surprises."

He flung Explosion into the air, and Gravity Core, the huge grey zweihander, flew into his grasp. Silfarion was released as the brilliant golden sword, Helios, floated to his left hand, and the Fallen Angel leapt forward again, brandishing both swords in a flashing dance as Aizen drew his zanpakutou, exchanging blows furiously.

"Kyouka Suigetsu won't work on me again, Aizen!" Kurai's eyes started to slit, becoming dragon-like as the Dragonlord's raw power dispelled the illusionary abilities of the traitor.

* * *

Sora and Kairi were caught unaware as the Cero beams slammed into the area around them. "Kairi!" Sora screamed. "Get down!" White light pooled around his feet and in a flash, he was above her, Hibane Tsubasa spread wide in an attempt to block the beams from reaching her. Oathkeeper and Oblivion spun in his armoured grasp, and energy spilled from them, becoming solid beams of light that extended the range of his keyblades until they resembled lightsabers. Manoeuvring through the air skilfully, he parried the beams, forcing them up into the sky or back at their origins, although the dust kicked up prevented him from actually seeing who shot them.

"Sora, be careful!" Kairi shouted up at him. Ayvuir surged around her, and she raised a hand, pointing in the direction of where the Cero beams had come from. "Explode!"

A ball of fire dropped down, exploding instantly, and ten shadows leapt away from the flaming conflagration, spreading out in mid-air to stand in a circle around her. "What have we here…? A mage…?" Each of the figures wore a hood over their heads, making it impossible to tell them apart, and the voice that came could've come from any of them.

In another flash of light, Sora was down from the sky, the beams from Oathkeeper and Oblivion becoming almost like a rope, or a whip, as they lashed out at the ten figures surrounding Kairi. "Get the hell away from her!" he shouted.

A black blur flashed across their line of vision, and Ichigo stood in front of them, his Vizard mask still on his face. "Guys, get outta here. Now. I promised Kurai."

Sora lifted his chin. "No way. _We_ didn't promise him."

Leo alighted next to him, his eyes flitting from each motionless white-clad figure to the other. "I couldn't give two craps about what you promised him or not, Sora. You and Kairi are getting out of here." Final Chaos, the ragged keyblade he wielded, roared in his grasp, but then his blades disappeared as he morphed into Loaded Form, and the barrel of the Gatling gun mounted on his left arm started to whirl around, warming up.

Suddenly, a beam of light streaked across the sky, crashing into the walls of Seireitei, bathing them in a halo of iridescent light. The figures standing in a ring around the four of them, three Wielders and one shinigami, suddenly moved into action. One leapt at Kairi, while the others moved away, aiming for different spots on the wall of Seireitei.

"No!" shouted Sora. He slashed outwards with Oathkeeper, and the streak of solid light that trailed behind the blade smashed into the chest of what he knew now was a Vasto Espada… and vanished. "What…?!"

"You're weak, boy." The Vasto Espada's arm shot out, and Ichigo and Leo moved quickly, but not fast enough. The fist slammed into Sora's steel wings, tearing a hole straight through them before Sora's astounded eyes. In his mind, he heard two cries of pain, one from Oathkeeper and one from Oblivion.

"Dammit!" he shouted. Spinning forward, light erupted from his wings as he spun through the air, Oahtkeeper and Oblivion placed tip together so they drilled towards the Vasto Espada. The light travelled up from his wings, reaching the hole and sealing it as he slashed outwards with both arms, the light trailing from the tips of the keyblades sizzling as they made contact and tore outwards, slamming into the Vasto Espada.

But when the smoke cleared, all that was left of his attack was an insignificant smudge on the Arrancar's chest. "Are you finished?" he asked sarcastically, then he leapt forward, his arm pulled back.

"Sora, get down!"

Moving on instinct, Sora did as told, and a huge barrage of black blades slammed into the Vasto Espada, driving him back before a huge sword slammed down, which he blocked with his bare hand. "So… another rat has appeared."

"Tsk tsk tsk. Superiority complex much?" Riku muttered as he landed next to Sora. "Why didn't you tell me, Sora? Leaving me out of the fun like that."

Suddenly, they all jerked their heads up as Yamamoto's old but powerful voice echoed through the air. "Release!" was the single word he said.

Immediately, the whole battlefield was covered with raging reiatsu as the Captains and Vice-Captains released either Bankai or its weaker brother, Shikai. Ichigo, who was already in his Bankai, just grinned tightly as he engaged in a staredown match with the Vasto Lorde, but already the voices of the Captains were raised to the wind as the single word Yamamoto called out materialized the rage of all Seireitei.

"_Bankai. Chire, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."_(A/N: Final Release: Scatter, Vibrant Display of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms.) Kuchiki Byakuya dropped his zanpakutou, Senbonzakura, the deadliest cherry blossoms in all Soul Society, into the ground, and the fabled blade vanished, summoning its big brothers to join the game as a thousand swords rose up on either side of Byakuya in two rows behind him, then shattering, each into a thousand cherry blossoms that milled through the air in a pink maelstrom.

"_Bankai! Kokujou Tengen Myou'ou!"_(A/N: Final Release: King of the Black Ropes, Divine Punishment.) The huge iron giant of the Seventh Division reappeared, and as the huge canine Captain, Komamura Saijin, returned to the frontlines, wide sweeps of the giant's sword gouged raw wounds into the naked earth.

"_Bankai. Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou." _(A/N: Final Release: Golden Leg Cutting Jizou. Jizou is a Buddha, responsible for all the hells of the world. He pledged not to become a Buddha until all the hells are emptied, and in Japan, is responsible for the spirits and souls of children, especially those who died before their parents, and particularly for stillborn, miscarried or aborted babies.) Kurotsuchi Mayuri, the Captain of the Twelfth Division, summoned forth his huge zanpakutou, and the deformed caterpillar-like creature with the head of a baby breathed poison into the air, killing the rest of the Hollows where they stood. Now the field was empty of all living Hollows, allowing the Captains, the elite of Soul Society, to focus on the matter at hand as the weaker shinigami withdrew.

"_Hana kaze midarete, kashin naki, tenpuu midarete, tenma warau, Katen Kyoukatsu."_ (A/N: The flowering wind rages as the God of Flowers roars, the heavenly wind thrashes as the Demon of Heaven sneers, Flower Heaven Mad Bone.) Again the twin blades of the Eighth Division called to the winds as Kyouraku Shunsui stepped to the right hand of Yamamoto, who stood impassive, his hands on his cane, eyes fixed on the form of Aizen in the distance, who was duelling with Kurai, although not very successfully. Lucia had long since made a run for it. Kyouraku laughed. "Now this is more like it."

"_Nami kotogotoku waga tate to nare, ikazuchi kotogotoku waga yaiba to nare, Sougyo no Kotowari!"_(A/N: Every wave be my shield, every lightning bolt be my sword, Truth of Pisces.) Ukitake Juushirou, fresh from a dose of medicine from Unohana, was ready to fight again, his eyes hard as he gazed out on the battlefield. The Vasto Espada were just standing there now, looking up at them, their hoods covering their faces so it was impossible to tell them apart.

"_Chi wo kienasai, Minazuki." _(A/N: Make the blood disappear, Flesh Purifier. I made up a Shikai release phrase for her. If Kubo reveals it, this is changing. xD) Unohana Retsu summoned her zanpakutou, a giant manta ray-like creature that was light green in colour, floating behind her like an ethereal being. The ray had the ability to swallow people whole, and while they remained in its belly, they were continually healed by the greenish gel surrounding them. Obviously, it lacked digestive juices, and although a sentient creature, it required no nourishment.

"_Jinteki shakusetsu, Suzumebachi!" _(A/N: Sting all enemies to death, Hornet.) The Captain of the Second Division unsealed her zanpakutou, the poisoned tip of the stinger she now wore on the middle finger of her right hand dripping venom that sizzled into the ground. Stab once to form the famed butterfly crest, and a second stab in the same area to cause instant death.

"_Banshou issai kaijin to nase, Ryuujin Jakka." _(A/N: Turn all in the universe to smouldering ashes, Flowing Blade of Flame.) The explosion that surrounded the Captain-Commander tore outwards, melting the very ground around him as his released Shikai lit up the area brighter than day in a raging inferno.

Then it was the Vice-Captains' turn. For this final battle, everything Soul Society can muster will be needed.

"_Ugate, Gonryoumaru." _(A/N: Bite/pierce, Solemn Spirit.) The katana of the Vice-Captain of the First Division, Sasakibe Choujirou, warped as it transformed into a rapier, and a light sheen of light started to play across its length.

"_Buttsubuse, Gegetsuburi!" _(A/N: Crush, Five-Shaped Head.) Oumaeda Marechiyo, the Vice-Captain of the Second-Division, yelled out loud as he threw his zanpakutou into the air, where it morphed into a large spiked ball, complete with a chain.

"_Hashire, Itegumo!" _(A/N: Run, Frozen Cloud.) Two smaller blades popped out of the katana's hilt, at 45 degrees to the original blade, which had straightened from the typical curved katana to a straight longsword. Ice started to wrap around the sword, concentrating particularly around the two small blades. Kotetsu Isane, the Vice-Captain of the Fourth Division, closed her eyes as she felt the ice starting to infuse her sword, and when she opened them again, they gleamed slightly blue with the chill of a glacier.

"_Bankai! Hihiou Zabimaru!" _(A/N: Final Release: Baboon King Snake Tail.) The only Vice-Captain to have Bankai, Abarai Renji, Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division, sent the massive skeletal snake roaring into the air, the head itself the size of a small car. Renji himself was now wearing a fur cowl around his neck, complete with the skull of a baboon on his shoulder, shadowed by the red hair he wore in a high ponytail that resembled a pineapple.

"_Karire, Kazeshini."_ (A/N: Reap, Wind of Death.) The tattooed and scarred Vice-Captain of the Ninth Division, Hisagi Shuuhei, reluctantly released his full strength. He disliked his zanpakutou's released form, which formed two sickles with two blades on each handle, each curving in different directions, with a long chain that could be lengthened or shortened by his reiatsu connecting them. It was a shape that was designed and meant to take life, without mercy, something that Shuuhei didn't like.

"_Unare, Haineko!" _(A/N: Growl, Ash Cat.) The buxom Vice-Captain of the Tenth Division, Matsumoto Rangiku, strawberry blonde hair cascading in waves down her back and dancing with the pink sash around her waist, released her zanpakutou again as the blade dissolved into ashes, spinning around her in a wild whirlwind.

(A/N: The VC of the 1st, the 2nd, and the 4th's zanpakutou abilities haven't been revealed in the manga, so I'm playing with them a little. Likewise, the 7th, 8th, 11th, the 12th and the 13th haven't even shown the release phrase of their Shikai, although the 7th has shown his released form, and the 13th technically doesn't even have a Vice at the moment.)

After the Vice-Captains have released their zanpakutou and stood, defiant, the Eleventh Division stepped up. The most bloodthirsty of the thirteen Divisions, they also boasted the highest number of zanpakutou releases and the strength of at least two Divisions on its own. Kurai, feeling the reiatsu they sent off, grinned tightly as he turned a level sixty Destructive spell from Aizen disdainfully away from him. 'I forgot about them. They'll help, 'specially Ikakku, even if he isn't forced to show it.'

"_Nobiro, Houzukimaru!" _(A/N: Grow, Demon Light.) The man in question, 3rd Seat of the Eleventh Division, Madarame Ikakku, was laughing maniacally as his katana took on the shape of a naginata with a wax wood shaft, complete with a red tassel on the end (A/N: Traditional Japanese pole-arm. Think a spear, but with a short katana blade instead of the normal double-edged point. As I'm sure you know, katana are only sharp on one side.). But the bald man wasn't done yet as Ikakku furthered his release. _"Sake, Houzukimaru!"_ (A/N: Split, Demon Light.) The shaft split in three sections, forming a tri-sectional spear connected by chains that could lengthen or shorten as he saw fit.

"_Sake, Fuji Kujaku!" _(A/N: Bloom, Wisteria Peacock. Wisteria is a genus of woody climbing vines in both East Asia and eastern United States. They're quite beautiful to the eye.) 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, narcissist extraordinaire, released his own zanpakutou, his taking the form of a sickle-shaped blade. With a deft flick of his wrist, Yumichika flipped the blade open, revealing another three blades that formed a fan-like construction of sickle-shaped blades coming from the one hilt. His eyes though, were incredibly hard. He didn't want to be forced to let out his secret, not if he could help it.

Then, above them all, a bright light shone down, and the walls of Seireitei that had earlier been bathed in its unearthly radiance started to glow again. A flaming sword smote down, and the whole plain was cracked in two, shearing Kurai and Aizen apart from their duel as one unlucky Vasto Espada took the blow full on. He disintegrated instantly, without time to scream or even move. Kurai's grin widened. He knew that sword. Spreading his black wings, he soared into the sky, where he nodded at the brilliant white figure standing in mid-air.

"Yo, Tengoku no Migite." (A/N: Right Hand of Heaven.)


	41. To Battle!

Well, it's my birthday here in Australia, so I'm posting this up to see how many reviews I get for my present. xD Kidding. Still, I've run into a bit of a bind for Chapter 42. Anyone have any idea what games or toys Spanish children play with when they're young. For some reason, I can't find anything on Google. Bleargh.

For now, enjoy the story!

* * *

Sora couldn't believe his eyes. Oathkeeper and Oblivion couldn't even scratch the steel skin of the Vasto Espada, and this individual cleaved through one almost as though by accident. The huge shockwave the burning sword had emitted pulverized the battlefield in one straight line, a single unbroken rampage of melting rock that stretched from the wall of Seireitei, through one of Rukongai's streets, to end up a few metres to the left of the huge Kuukaku estate, where Ichigo had blown himself up and over into the White City.

"I think that guy's just a _teensy_ bit overpowered…" Riku muttered. Kairi nodded, speechless. Ichigo whistled. "And I thought Kurai was bad."

Leo chuckled, watching the expressions on his friends. "That was the Right Hand of Heaven. He's about the only guy who can beat Kurai in a fight."

"I can see why…" Sora muttered. Then he threw himself to one side as Ichigo came in, his Vizard mask still over his face as his eyes glowed gold. The Vasto Espada, who had been standing transfixed as the Right Hand of Heaven destroyed one of his companions, had returned on the offensive, and his steel fist hammered into Tensa Zangetsu, sending the Captain of the Fifth flying backwards. Before he could continue to attack though, Leo had placed a single ion blast straight into his chest, sending the Arrancar in the opposite direction. Before the Wielder of Darkness could follow up, the familiar red and black ball of energy appeared in the Arrancar's hand, and Leo ducked as the Cero blasted the air where his head had been previously.

Riku took advantage of the Arrancar's unstable footing, surrounding him with swords that he pelted him with, while attacking from the front with Way to the Dawn and the huge zweihander. Sora leapt in as well, Oathkeeper and Oblivion striking out in black and white arcs.

"It is futile. You will never be able to stop Aizen-sama." The Vasto Espada easily blocked their strikes, moving with inhuman speed so his fist slammed into the chest armour of the Wielder of Light, whose armour was strengthening as it absorbed the energies of Soul Society.

'Y'know, I'm liking this…' Sora sent in his mind to his two keyblade spirits. 'Who gave you the idea?'

'It's passive, Sora. Part of your Bankai. Along with your ability to manipulate light, you can extend the range of our keyblade selves as long as you wish, as well as absorb the energies of any world to make your armour stronger.' Oathkeeper's normally serene voice sounded triumphant: Sora's Bankai, Hibane Tsubasa, was the pinnacle of Oblivion's and her strength and co-operation. 'As for the idea, we just went with the flow.'

'I'm sorry about the wing… I should've moved faster…' Sora's mental voice awash with guilt.

'It's no worry, Sora. We're fine. It just caught us off guard, is all. If the wings are too bulked up, you won't be able to move easily, and that isn't a good idea. Best we can do is heal it up, but leave it as thin as it can be.' This time, it was Oblivion, and he sounded jovial. 'It's easy enough to patch a hole anyways.'

'_Don't worry 'bout it, Sora. We'll do alright.' _Roxas' voice echoed.

Sora ducked on Kairi's command as the Wielder of Love sent a blazing fireball over his head to smash into the Vasto Espada, but as he had expected, the fireball had little to no effect. 'Hey Oathkeeper. Oblivion. Why can't you two come out and fight him? You two fought the Privarion Espada back on the Destiny Islands, didn't you? Or we can fight him together!"

There was a silence. Then Oathkeeper spoke. 'It's not that easy, Sora. When we're fighting, you can't. The keyblades you hold are nothing more than decorative steel if; we, the soul of the keyblade and the source of its power, inhabit it no more. If you can't defend yourself, then we won't come out to fight. Also, when we fight, any damage we sustain is brought over to the keyblade itself. If we aren't careful and get killed, then the keyblade will crack, and you will be a Wielder no more, with no Wielder able to take your place." Now it was Sora's turn to be silent, and he remained grim as he narrowly dodged a steel fist, the air whistling from the force of the blow shaving a few hairs off his head.

* * *

"Looks like the tables have turned, Aizen." Kurai grinned easily as he threw his hand out to one side, opening a rift for Etherios and the other eight blades to enter. Betrayal spun out of it, and he caught it easily, as Umou followed straight after. "And little baby Lucia ran away."

Aizen chuckled, looking up at where the black-winged angel stood next to another angel. "Little baby Lucia…? We know, Kurai. We know that the only two mortal swords that can defeat you are Decalogues and the Ten Commandments. Am I wrong?" His eyes were cold, though his smile was warm.

The Fallen Angel shrugged. "You're right. What of it? No mortal possesses the skill to be able to use all the ten swords effectively enough to beat me. Not even Dark Amelia or Ravelt can defeat me in that state. And you know it."

Aizen didn't reply, his eyes shifting to the figure standing on mid-air next to Kurai, narrowing fractionally. He didn't like the way that burning sword he held in his right hand had destroyed one of his creations. He didn't like the aura of pure power he emanated. He didn't like the way the left arm was glowing with ancient runes. He didn't like him in general. Which wasn't surprising. Good and evil could hardly like each other.

"Oh, I forgot the introductions." Kurai laughed. "Aizen, meet the Right Hand of Heaven. Tengoku no Migite, this is Aizen, one lousy sonuvagun."

The Right Hand of Heaven made no remark, but Aizen got the impression of a pair of burning eyes fixing him in their gaze. It had been a long time since Aizen felt fear. Not even Yamamoto made him feel this way. "It's no use, Kurai. You can't beat me. Not with my Vasto Espada at my side."

Kurai's answering smile was vicious. "What Vasto Espada?" Aizen's eyes narrowed.

* * *

"_Mae, Sode no Shirayuki." _(A/N: Dance, Sleeve of White Snow.) Rukia twirled her wrist, and the katana she held blossomed, becoming a single sword of pure white, from the blade to the hilt, to the pommel to the long ribbon that spun out behind it. As she completed the turn, the ribbon made an almost complete circle, going in a beautiful arch around the air to where it begun at the pommel. The most beautiful zanpakutou in Soul Society was unleashed as the Vice-Captain of the Fifth Division leapt in. "Ichigo, get down!" she shouted. _"Some no Mai!" _(A/N: First Dance.)

A wide circle of ice spread out around Rukia, and the Captain of the Fifth saw immediately what his Vice-Captain was trying to do. "Everyone out!" he ordered. With the speed of the Vizard, his body blurred as Sora, Riku, Kairi and Leo suddenly found themselves flung out of the area, Ichigo appearing over them as he spun around in mid-air to face the Vasto Espada. "And you, stay in there! Getsuga Tenshou!"

The rippling wave of black energy that shot out of the slim nodachi the Captain held slammed into the Espada, and Leo followed up with concentrated bursts of gatling fire. Rukia spun around in a silent dance, Sode no Shirayuki slashing out as she completed it. Instantly, the ground froze, along with anything touching it save Rukia, but the Vasto Espada had already leapt into the air. "Is that all, foolish girl?" he mocked.

Ichigo sighed. "Are all Arrancar this stupid?" he asked no one in particular.

The corners of Rukia's mouth curled up, and the circle around her gleamed silver white in the daylight, the ice persisting despite the strong glare of the sun. _"Tsukishiro!" _(A/N: White Moon.) The air directly above the ground froze as well, then it froze the air above it, continuing in a wave of astonishing speed until a pillar of pure ice rose from the ground up to the heavens, trapping the Vasto Espada within its icy confines. Rukia's grin widened as she threw the ribbon on her pommel around the pillar. Like the binding on Zangetsu's Shikai form, it lengthened immeasurably, wrapping around the pillar like a winding white snake.

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Haven't seen _that_ before… She's going original."

"_Chire, Sode no Shirayuki!" _(A/N: Scatter, Sleeve of White Snow.) As she said it, the Vice-Captain pulled hard, whirling around and slashing out with her zanpakutou in one movement, shattering the ice into tiny razor sharp pieces that struck into the Vasto Espada. Most of them broke off on his steel skin, but a very few managed to pierce through, drawing blood. "_Nii-sama…_" she murmured. "_Arigatou."_ (A/N: Nii-sama is a very formal way to refer to one's brother. In this case, she means Byakuya. Arigatou, as I'm sure anyone who's even remotely interested in Japan knows, means thank you.)

"Your strength… Befitting of a Vice-Captain." The Vasto Espada blurred out of sight. "But you are powerless before me."

Ichigo blurred as well, the last things to vanish from sight being his golden eyes. "Touch her, and I'll _kill _you."

The Espada laughed, the disembodied voice seeming to come from everywhere. "You think you can defeat me? With your weak power? Surely you're joking."

Ichigo's voice replied as Sora and Leo, along with Riku, covered Kairi on three sides. "My _weak _power? If it was that bad, you wouldn't run away now would you?" The four Wielders caught a burst of black to one side, and they moved as one, ducking as a roar of pure energy soared above them to slam into something in mid-air. That something blurred slightly, and the Vasto Lorde Arrancar reappeared, observing a trickle of blood on his chest where the Getsuga Tenshou had made contact. "Ho…? You drew first blood, Taichou-sama."

Ichigo's body seemingly melted out of thin air to stand in front of Rukia, Tensa Zangetsu still wrapped in a writhing aura of black energy. "Give it up," he spat. "One of your _nakama _have been killed, and if you continue to fight, we'll destroy you all."

"That was but the Decima Espada. The weakest of our own. You, Kurosaki Ichigo, of all people, would know how Aizen-sama tattoos the skin of us Espada personally." The Vasto Espada reached up, pulling his hood off, revealing… a mask over his face. (A/N: Decima Espada: The Tenth Espada. Incidentally, Espada is Spanish for sword, so the Espada are Aizen's swords.)

The six people in the area collapsed comically. Ichigo was the first to recover. "What the hell's the point of wearing that hood if you're wearing a mask underneath?!"

The eyes of the Arrancar were all that could be seen of his face, and they looked offended. "Ex_cuse _me?! I'm not trying to make a fashion statement, thank you very much!"

Leo, Sora, Riku and Kairi were all huddled up in a group.

"Ya know what? I reckon he's…"

"Really?! How'd you know he's…?"

"It's obvious! He's…!"

"Guys, why're you so certain he's…?"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU BASTARDS GOING ON ABOUT?!" the Vasto Espada screamed at them.

Ichigo laughed out loud. "Looks like you've found a sore spot, guys."

Sora's face was all innocence. "What? We were just talking about how we're sure that new guy up there with Kurai, the Right Hand of Heaven, is…" His eyes, sparking with mischief, looked around at the other three Wielders.

"An angel!" they all shouted, then burst into gales of laughter. Rukia and Ichigo joined in, but they all shut up right quick when Ichigo's reflexes caused him to duck, narrowly dodging a huge Cero blast from the steaming Vasto Espada.

"You… bastards…" All trace of composure and dignity had fled now. The Arrancar's hand flew to the hilt of the sword tucked into his belt. "Die! _Tobite hoero, Quimera!_ I am the Sexta Espada, Aguas Juan Navarro!" (A/N: Fly and roar, Chimera. Sexta Espada means the Sixth Espada.) A blast of reiatsu burst out from the Arrancar, and as it did, it ripped the white uniform over his chest, revealing a large '6' tattooed right over the ribcage, angled so the tip of the downward stroke started at his right shoulder.

"Not the Sexta again…" Ichigo groaned. "First Espada I fought was Sexta as well. Bloody Grimmjow. Still, going into Ressurecion this early. Guess you must be taking us seriously."

Riku cocked his head to one side. "And what's with the freaky long name?"

Leo shrugged. "Kurai says they're Spanish, if that makes any sense. Anyhow, we'd better move." His boosters flared, and he grabbed Sora, Kairi and Riku, leaping up into the sky as a huge explosion tore up the area they had been in earlier.

"What the…?!" Riku gasped. The earth under them was torn up, and a sick green hue was starting to fall around it, soaking into the very earth.

"HAHAHAHA!" Six pairs of eyes shot back at where the Vasto Espada was, Ichigo releasing Rukia, who he had grabbed to escape the explosion. "You guys are all talk!" As the billowing dust around their enemy cleared, six pairs of eyes narrowed. "I _thought _the word Quimera was familiar…" Leo muttered under his breath.

Standing on four legs and towering before them was a creature out of legend. With three heads, one a lion's head, which was foremost and largest, the second a goat's head, which was slightly behind and whose eyes were green and its teeth bared in a feral snarl that was not at all goat-like, and a third head which reminded them of a dragon, and which reminded Sora of THE Dragon, the one inside him, it was enough to freeze them in place, if not out of horror, then out of shock. To cap it all off, arced high above like a scorpion's tail, was a snake, which seemed to serve as a tail.

"Now that's just freaky." Ichigo remarked. "Did someone chuck you in a blender or something?"

"SILENCE!" The snake head lunged forward, venom spraying from its mouth.

"_Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!" _(A/N: Next (Second) Dance, White Ripple.) Rukia, who had stabbed the ground before her four times in a line before her, stood with Sode no Shirayuki poised, the holes she had made in the ground starting to form small white particles of reiatsu that floated upwards. She stabbed forward, and a huge wave of ice roared out of the pure white blade, freezing the venom in mid-air while continuing to charge forward. The wave caught Aguas straight on, freezing him where he stood.

"Ichigo!" Rukia shouted.

"Got it!" To Sora, Riku and Kairi's eyes, it seemed like Ichigo was in ten places at once, in the air above Aguas. "Getsuga… TENSHOU!"

The Getsuga Tenshou that roared from Tensa Zangetsu put all the previous ones that the Wielders have seen to shame. Ten huge waves, each the height of a skyscraper, came howling in from ten directions, surrounding the Vasto Espada in a circle as Aguas' eyes, the only part of him who could move at the moment, widened in terror. Ichigo's golden eyes were merciless behind the mask of the Vizard, and in that moment Sora, Kairi and Riku were glad he was on their side rather than the enemy.

The impact drove the Arrancar into the ground as a huge crater was pressed into the earth, and the wildly flaring reiatsu of the Captain of the Fifth Division slowly calmed down as he floated gently down, standing in the crater itself as he gazed with hard eyes at Aguas, who was still standing, but breathing heavily. "Is this all the Vasto Lorde Espada have? Pathetic." The shinigami grinned.

Blood ran in rivulets down the Arrancar's face. "Heh… It will take more than that to defeat me, who was chosen by Aizen-SAMA!" The moment he said the honorific, he leapt at Ichigo, powerful hindquarters driving him faster than most things on Earth or Soul Society.

"Don't even think about it."

Swords rained down everywhere, black swords that burnt on contact as petals and leaves tore deep into the Chimera's skin, and a high powered percussion blast of sound slammed into his back. A flash of light streaked along his side, and a gaping wound was ripped along his flanks as he screamed in pain, crashing into the ground. "Impossible!"

"Have you ever noticed how the people who say that are usually proven wrong in five minutes, Leo?" Sora asked, flicking his bladed arm out to one side, fresh blood instantly splattering on the ground, leaving Hibane Tsubasa clean.

A high pitched whine could be heard around the Wielder of Darkness as he withdrew the smoking barrel of the sound cannon he wore on his back. "That's why you shouldn't boast, Sora. Ain't that right, Riku?"

"Damn straight." Riku snapped his fingers, and the huge zweihander burst out of the ground before him, hovering within easy reach. He ignored it for the time being, and Way to the Dawn blossomed in his hand. Kurokensatsu materialized around him, but instead of being pointed towards the ground, they were horizontal, aiming for Aguas.

"Hey _guys! _Quit leaving me out!" Kairi pouted, Ayvuir rustling indignantly. "I can fight too you know!" Her hair started to glow red again, and she flung her hand upwards. "Eruption!"

Aguas laughed as the earth under his four claws erupted, enveloping him in flames. "Fool girl. I am a Chimera, a creature of the Flame! You cannot defeat a Sexta Espada this easily!"

As the eruption sent balls of flame upwards, Aguas stepped almost daintily out of the pillar of fire. To Kairi's chagrin, he was completely healed of all the damage Ichigo and Rukia had done to him.

"Um… Whoops…?" she grinned sheepishly. Immediately, she sent a thought at Oathgiver and Eternity. "HELP! How do I use ice?! I accidentally healed this guy!"

There was a pause, and Oathgiver sighed. 'Were you even listening last time? Be the element. Be cool and calm as the ice, and you can use it.'

'Easy for _you _to say! You're not the one out here fighting for your life!' Kairi retorted, ducking as a burst of flame from the dragon head scorched a few strands of hair from her head. 'Don't you guys have any better tips?!'

'None. That's the only way. Ask Sora.' Oathgiver's voice seemed like it was suppressing mirth, and Kairi made a mental note to kick him the minute she got the chance. 'Now that was uncalled for!' His voice sounded hurt. 'It's seriously the only way, Kai!'

Kairi gave it up for the moment. "Sora! I'm sorry!" she called over to her friend.

The Wielder of Light's mouth was grim, and his teeth were clenched as he fend off the snake head and lion head together, the dragon head preventing his friends from coming to help. "No time for that now, Kai. We've got to take this guy down, and fast!" White and black light wrapped around Oathkeeper and Oblivion, and with a cry, he slashed forward. But Aguas gave a barking laugh as he sidestepped it. "Don't bother! Just stand there and be eaten by me, for Aizen-sama!"

Riku's grin was venomous. "I've heard enough of that guy for a lifetime. Leo! Ichigo! Rukia! Let's go!"

"Right!" came the answering shout. Then, Ichigo did something that they didn't expect. The mask over his face disappeared as he waved his hand over it. "Time to go…" he murmured. "Zangetsu-ossan, you ready…?"

Rukia's eyes were wide, as were Leo's. "You… You're joking…? He's…?!" Riku stopped, turning back to gaze at the Captain.

Ichigo closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were his usual hazel hue, but then the hazel was overpowered by a bright blue light. His whole body was enveloped in reiatsu, and the thin black blade of Tensa Zangetsu was sheathed in a blue light of warping energy. A thin howling could be heard on the wind, and if they listened carefully, it seemed to be coming from the zanpakutou itself.

Sora grinned, but it held traces of fatigue as he ducked under another acrid blast of venomous breath. "If you're gonna do it, Ichigo, you'd better hurry!"

"KANZEN BANKAI!"

A veritable pillar of reiatsu reared its pristine head over the battlefield, then shattered, revealing the Captain, with a figure that was familiar to only Ichigo, Sora and Yoruichi standing next to him. Ichigo now wore the white haori of the Captains around his shoulders, but that was the only difference with his prior clothing as he hefted the light blade of Kuroi Tensa Zangetsu to point at Aguas. Zangetsu stood behind him, Shiroi Tensa Zangetsu edge upwards to the side in his customary starting position.

"Kuroshiro Tensa Zangetsu."

Rukia was shaking. "That… That… That's…! Kanzen Bankai!"

Leo was speechless for a moment, then said, "But I thought… Kurai said… I was told it was a myth!"

Riku just stood and stared.

Sora laughed. "Enough gawking. Riku, get Kairi out of here. She's starting to lose it."

At that moment, Kairi was feeling really weak at the knees. The reiatsu pouring off the Captain of the Fifth Division at the moment was so high that she felt the air had turned to water. Not even Yamamoto's reiatsu had done this to her, and she was starting to get light-headed. Then she felt a familiar presence in her mind. _'Stay strong, Kairi.'_

"Namine…" she muttered. With an enormous force of will, she forced herself to stand, and found she could bear the pressure easier. "_You _don't seem very surprised, Sora!" she accused him.

A flash of light lit up the area as the Wielder of Light summoned a ray of light to glance off Oathkeeper, spearing into Aguas' eyes and forcing him to stop his attack. He seized that moment, disappearing in another flash of light that arced over next to Kairi. Panting, he grinned at her. "When I was fighting the dragon back on the Destiny Islands. Where… You know. Ichigo came and help me, and he revealed this state of power then. Not too shabby, he kicked the dragon around a bit."

"I wonder what other powers the shinigami are hiding under their sleeves…" muttered Leo. In any case, let's not bother with small talk. Time to rock and roll."

Riku nodded. "Kurokensatsu! Dawn! Let's dance!" He flung his arm forward, and thousands of black blades decided it was time for lunch, swerving in from four directions and leaving Aguas with only one left.

As he leapt in that direction, he slammed face first into a pillar of ice that Rukia had conjured. "Stay where you are!" she shouted. "_Chire, Sode no Shirayuki!" _The pillar shattered, showering the chimera with ice shards and peppering his many heads as some shards even found their way into his eyes.

Aguas' goat head screamed, a terrible sound, and then both it and the dragon head spewed flames, the dragon breathing red flames and itself firing green. The lion's head roared out a defiant challenge, and the snake's head reared back, arcing to strike at Sora, who was coming in from the back.

"Moon Slasher!" Sora shouted, slashing forward. Pulsing waves of white and black energy howled from his keyblade, but the snake head weaved its winding way through them, fangs bared to sink into Sora's flesh. Twin keyblades smote down on it as Kairi, her face pale with fury and fear, smashed both Oathgiver and Eternity onto the poisonous creature. "Leave your hands off my man!" she shouted, making Sora turn bright red and the other four grinning.

Ichigo, along with Zangetsu, was doing marvellously. The incredible power of Kanzen Bankai was such that merely swinging either Tensa Zangetsu through the air fired off a Getsuga Tenshou, the translation ability of Zangetsu to 'translate' pure reiatsu into a physical plane working overtime to compensate for the more than tripled reiatsu output of the Captain and his zanpakutou spirit. They used the same tactic that they had used against Sora's dragon, one standing opposite the other, trapping their target in the centre of a killing ground that was every inch as deadly as Riku's.

Leo, using his bionic extensions to full extent, was flying over Aguas, keeping him pinned down with both gun and ion fire. "Pulse Driver." The ion cannon on his shoulder swivelled over, and his chest plate flipped open, revealing an extendable barrel that unfolded. A small transparent ball at the end of it glowed as it absorbed the morning sun, and another ball, this one of pure energy, hovered in the air before it, growing bigger bit by bit as the wind around him tossed his black hair around, a small grin hovering around his mouth as his red eyes, wild with the forbidden allure of battle, stayed fixed on Aguas. Both ionic weapons fired, one firing a single intense beam of blue photon light, the other unleashing a small ball of condensed energy. "Rukia! Freeze him! The rest of you, hightail it outta there!"

Rukia nodded. _"Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!" _The white wave burst forward, but Aguas moved. Leaping high above the freezing cold, he directed a blast of venom at Rukia, who was saved by a white blur that materialized as Ichigo some distance away, while firing twin streams of crimson and green flame at the ion pulses. To his surprise, they kept coming. "Damn!"

The beam hit first, pummelling him and forcing him to the ground, effectively pinning him to the spot despite Rukia's failure to do so. The small ball impacted next, and immediately, the other five fighters realized why Leo had warned them to move beforehand. The explosion was certainly impressive, but it was the sound itself that rocketed out of the impact zone, along with the shockwave of compressed air that flattened them to the ground.

"I wonder how many secrets _you _hold, Leo…" Sora muttered, picking himself off the ground before flying over to Kairi and helping her up. Riku needed no help, and Ichigo had a hand around Rukia which she was trying to bat away. Zangetsu stood impassively: The shockwave had had no impact on him.

Leo laughed. "Comes with being associates with Kurai. I'm sure you understand." He gave a cocky salute. His Gatling arm started to whirr again, pelting Aguas, who was lying dazed on the ground, with round after round of ammo. "C'mon, gimme some backup!" Missiles shot out of the box compartment on his back, slamming one after the other into the Arrancar, exploding with less impressive explosions.

The Sexta Espada refused to go down easy though. _"Incendio Aliento!" _(A/N: Spanish for Destructive Fire Breath.) Flames flared out of his mouths, all four of them. Green (Goat), blue (Snake), red (Dragon) and yellow (Lion) flames melded together, burning with an intense heat that melted the bullets before they could hit him. _"Pluma Ala!" _(A/N: Spanish: Feather Wing.) With a grotesque sound of ripping flesh, wings sprouted from his shoulders, the feathered wings of an eagle, but horribly mutilated, as though dipped in acid. He spread them wide, then pushed down, creating a draft of nauseating air that made them all gag, except, as usual, Zangetsu.

"Getsuga Soutenshou." (A/N: Moon Fang Twin Heaven Piercer. Getsuga Tenshou itself is just Moon Fang Heaven Piercer.) The zanpakutou spirit swung his zanpakutou self in a blinding arc, so fast his arm seemed like a blur, and two waves of energy burst from the thin white blade, neatly shearing one wing and the goat head off in a stroke. Sora, whose eyes had gone back to their slitted golden state without him knowing, could see that Zangetsu had in fact slashed twice in that one moment, but his speed was such that it seemed like only one strike.

Bereft of two of his weapons, Aguas fell back down to the ground, cat-like reflexes righting himself so he landed with a crash on all four paws. _"Veneno!" _(A/N: Spanish: Venom.) The snake head reared up again, spraying green venom into the air. "Die, die, DIE!"

"Two can play the flame game." Leo kicked outwards with his right leg, seemingly at nothing, but a gun barrel with holes punched around the tip and with hoses attached near the bottom, which was connected to his waist, slid out. With a click, it locked into place, and the inside started to glow with a bright blue light. "Time to heat this up a little."

"Leo! The guy gets healed by fire!" Kairi shouted. The shame of THAT particular event still lingered, and she was NOT happy.

"I know." Leo grinned. "What do you take me for?" Kairi pouted.

"_Some no Mai, Tsukishiro!" _Rukia slashed outwards with her white zanapkutou, and ice grew upwards in a pillar, freezing the venom in mid-air before it could hit or be breathed in by anyone. The pillar cracked into pieces rather than shattering, which was its usual custom, sending the venom back at the Vasto Espada.

"Thanks, Rukia!" The Wielder of Darkness shot forward with his thrusters, spinning around as he aimed the now blindingly white barrel at the bare earth underneath the Espada, being careful not to aim anywhere near the body itself. "Burn!"

White hot fire flared from the nozzle, the immense heat soaked up by the earth it was aimed at. Within seconds, the heat reduced the ground to slush, and Riku stepped onto his zweihander, which was hovering in the air. Rukia, Zangetsu and Ichigo joined him, while Sora and Kairi remained floating where they were, although all of them could feel the heat coming off the earth in waves. The chimera screamed in pain as the earth scorched his paws, and he flapped his single wing furiously, to no avail.

"Is he trying to _gas_ us to death?!" Kairi shouted, sounding a little muffled as she hid her nose and mouth with her hands. Absently, without even thinking of it, she lifted a hand. "Wind!"

To her great surprise, as well as the surprise of the others, the wind answered, blowing up a mighty gust that cleared the air around them, forcing them back at the chimera, although it had no effect on Aguas. However, it had the added effect of fanning up the almost liquid fire pouring from Leo's flamethrower, making it even hotter. Even Leo could feel the heat now, and he turned on his thrusters full blast, stopping the flow of flame and retreating to where his allies were. "It's too hot out there! Someone else take over!"

"Zangetsu-ossan, we're up!" Ichigo shouted, to which the spirit nodded. "Let's go!" They vanished in blurs of white and black, and moments later, a veritable rain of energy slammed onto the Vasto Espada.

"Aizen-sama!" he shouted, but his cry was in vain as the Captain of the Fifth Division proved his worth. He dived down, his feet touching the melted earth, but the contact time was too short for it to even begin to heat up. At his speed, running on water was impossibly easy. Zangetsu mirrored him movement for movement, a shadow that followed behind him like an afterimage, just a split second slower than his wielder.

'_Now THAT'S teamwork, Sora.' _Roxas laughed.

Rukia, Leo, Sora, Kairi and Riku now had nothing to do but watch as Ichigo finished off what they had started. It was almost pitiful. The snake head was the first to go, invisible blades ripping it off in a strangled scream that was cut off sharply. The dragon's flames were useless; after all, you can't burn what you can't touch or even see. The remaining wing was the next, the stench from the rotting feathers cut off in an instant as two Getsuga Tenshou's in quick succession, one from each warrior, pulverized it into nothingness. The dragon head disappeared without warning, there one second, gone the next, then came the most brutal part of all. Kairi screwed her eyes shut, turning away and covering her ears as Sora turned away as well, shielding them from the sight with his wings. Riku, his face impassive, continued to watch, although his fists were clenched and his brow furrowed. Rukia showed no emotion at all.

Ichigo and Zangetsu, moving in tandem, went to the two vital areas of the body: Zangetsu underneath, where the soft underbelly was and Ichigo to the head. "Tell Aizen this for me, when you see him in Hell. We will never lose. He always will." With that, he plunged Kuroi Tensa Zangetsu into the lion head, while Zangetsu stabbed the underbelly. The scream of the Sexta Espada echoed through the battlefield. Then, the two of them said the fatal words.

"Getsuga… Tenshou."

It was over. The rippling energy wave of kidou and translated reiatsu travelled down the twin blades of Kanzen Bankai, into the chimera's body, then burst out the other side, tearing him apart from the inside out. With a final scream, Aguas Juan Navarro vanished into _reishi_, spirit particles.

"Game… Over." Ichigo swung Kuroi Tensa Zangetsu out to one side, his face blank as stone, except for his trademark frown.

* * *

On the other side of the battlefield, one of the Vasto Espada was standing over the ashes that were all that remained of the Decima Espada. "Really… You're too weak." The voice was female, but low and husky. "What did Aizen-sama say, Odalis-kun? You never listen. Well, I guess it's time I reject it." A slim hand threw back the cloak she was wearing, revealing a beautiful face, a busty figure of average height and a short sword strapped along her thigh. Long brown hair fell to the ground, and a discarded hairnet that had helped her anonymity by holding it up vanished into reishi as it touched the ground. Her white uniform was cut as though to reveal as much as she could without being indecent: A plunging neckline that went between her breasts down to a bare midriff, leaving only two cup-like parts that cupped her chest as her skirt flared outwards like a gown, but with slits up the sides. Her back was completely bare, and only a belt and the knot behind her neck held her whole outfit together.

"My my… How troublesome. I suppose it _is_ my duty though." She drew her zanpakutou, pointing it at the ashes. _"Kyouzetsuru, Huang Tai Hou." _(A/N: Kyouzetsuru is Japanese, and it means reject. Huang Tai Hou is Chinese, and means the Empress Dowager, the mother of the Emperor of China.) "I must thank that Right Hand of Heaven though. If he had actually turned you to _reishi, _nothing I do can heal you. I suppose he must think that we can't do anything to revive the dead."

All the while she was talking, reiatsu had been curling around her, and now she was wearing robes of an ancient design. Red was the dominant colour, with tinges of orange and yellow, and on her head was an ornate affair of a headdress, with exaggerated golden plates and braids of gold and crimson thread coming down over her shoulders. Her zanpakutou had changed: Instead of the tanto it had been, it was now a Chinese _jian _(A/N: A _jian_ (Pronounced jee-en) is a standard Chinese longsword, sharp on both edges and straight.), with a golden blade that seemed to shimmer. As she threw her head back to shake her hair down, a small '8' could be seen on her neck, tattooed in place in black.

"Now, let's see…" The Octava Espada started to trace the figure of a person onto the ground, then when she was finished, slashed her sword over the ashes. They started to glow gold, then floated on an invisible draft to fill up the figure drawing. Her eyes flitted back upwards and scanned the area, but she had chosen the place well, or rather, the Decima Espada had: The debris from the attack had scattered everywhere, shielding her from sight. As long as she didn't give off any un-necessary reiatsu, she wouldn't be discovered. _"Fu huo."_ (A/N: Fu huo is Chinese for Resurrection, or more literally, return life.)

Gold reiatsu started to mix with the black of death, and then slowly, painstakingly slowly to avoid discovery, the body of the Decima Espada, still wrapped in his cloak, appeared, feet first. Sweat started to bead on her forehead, something she detested, but she had no choice but to finish it or their ally would be left with half a body and a leg. _"Kuai dian, chou xiao zi!" _she muttered in her home language. (A/N: Hurry up, you bastard!)

Finally, the body was completely formed from the ash. She stopped to rest, and in that moment, she felt the reiatsu of a wild fighter letting loose. Peeking out, she watched the final moments of her comrade, but her face curled into a sneer. "Serve you right, Aguas. That's what you get for watching me every time I take a bath, _hao she gui!_" (A/N: Pervert.) She tossed her hair. "Gone into spirit particles too, so I can't revive you. The Soul King's on my side."

The flush of a victory that wasn't hers making her breath come faster, she looked positively radiant, like a barbarian queen with a beauty unmatched as she turned back to her job. _"Qi sheng, Aizen de zan bing!" _(A/N: Wake up, Aizen's soldier of war.) She pointed her _jian_ at the corpse as it lay lifeless inside the golden tracing she had done. _"Qi sheng!"_ (A/N: Wake up.)

Her job done, she turned and vanished in a small tremble of reiatsu, not waiting to see what the results of her work had become. Not that she needed to. She knew exactly what was going to happen, and she didn't want to be around when it did.

A shudder ran through the corpse, intensifying as it did, before stopping. Suddenly, a large burst of reiatsu exploded off the Decima Espada, and a sword, a katana, appeared out of nowhere in mid-air, horizontally above him. A large hand grabbed the hilt, and a deep voice shouted, _"Subete mo maware, Peonza!" _(A/N: Spin everything, Top. Y'know, the kind that spin on the ground.)

Ten flashes of reiatsu counteracted the first, and the ten Vice-Captains of the Gotei 13, excluding Rukia, Yachiru and the Vice-Captainless 13th Division, stood before the Espada, as a spinning tornado roared around him, covering him in a dust devil.

"Stand down, in the name of the Gotei 13." Sasakibe Choujirou, the Vice-Captain of the First Division, stood forward, his zanpakutou, Gonryoumaru, gleaming with a white edge. Speaking with the authority of his Captain, the Captain-Commander of Soul Society, he swung the rapier-like weapon to a salute, blade held vertically up before him, hilt on the chest. "Retreat or we will use deadly force."

Deep laughing came from within the tornado. "Retreat…?! ME?! HA! Flee you worms, while you still can! I am Odalis Reyes, The King!" As the winds slowed, the sight of the released Espada caused their eyes to narrow.

A huge round object, balanced finely on a point no thicker than a zanpakutou, spinning around so fast that they could actually see the distortional winds around the edges, a gigantic version of the toys that even they had played with in Soul Society, the huge top had a grotesque array of bladed weapons on its flat top, all within reach of the long arms of the Decima Espada as his torso from the waist upwards stuck up from the middle of the top. On the shoulder of his left arm, right on the shoulder blade, a '10' was tattooed.

Renji rolled his eyes. "A _top?! _I came here to fight a Vasto Espada and they give me a _TOP?! _And it's the _Decima _Espada? Is this an insult from that four eyed freak or what?!"

Tetsuzaemon Iba, Vice-Captain of the Seventh Division, his zanpakutou released as well into its long scimitar-like blade with a pick-like protrusion near the tip, felt likewise. "Is this supposed to frighten us?" he asked no one in particular, scratching his yakuza like hairdo.

Rangiku yawned. "You guys take care of him." She waved her hand disdainfully. "Hitsugaya-taichou probably needs me."

Nanao Ise, Vice-Captain of the Eighth Division, shook her head. "No, Rangiku-san. Yamamoto-soutaichou told us personally that we were to all deal with at least one of the Vasto Espada."

Kotetsu Isane, Vice-Captain of the Fourth Division, nodded as well. "Besides, we don't know how powerful this one is. I'll stay back here and help with both kidou and fukudou. The rest of you, good luck, and take care." (A/N: Fukudou is the healing kidou, just like Hadou is Destructive and Bakudou is Binding.) She held out an arm, palm facing the huge spinning body. _"Hadou no Rokujyuu San, Souren Soukatsui!"_ (A/N: Destructive Art #63: Twin Lotus Blue Fire Crash Down.)

She couldn't miss at that range. The twin blasts of purplish blue energy that rocketed out of her open palm flew in a wide arc, streaking towards the spinning top. To the immense surprise of the Vice-Captains, the twin blasts, when they made contact with the body, immediately spun off, as though out of control, arcing back at them with frightening speed.

"Get down!" Hisagi Shuuhei, his zanpakutou Kazeshini spinning in his hand, leapt into the air. _"Bakudou no Rokujyuu Ni, Hyapporankan!"_ (A/N: Binding Art #62: Hundred Stepped Rails.) Throwing one of the blades of the sickle-like zanpakutou into the air while holding onto the chain and its twin in one hand, he held his other hand out to the side. Reiatsu pooled into it, forming a long, thick steel rod. Shuuhei immediately threw it out with a smooth underarm cast, and it vanished the moment it left his hand. Several less thick rods appeared out of nowhere, spearing through the air, and the minute they made contact with the Souren Soukatsui blasts, they exploded, stopping the return fire.

But the defence had a side effect they hadn't taken into account. The rods that were left continued to fly towards the spinning top, and as they hit it, they were ricocheted back, just like the Soukatsui blasts.

"Damn!" Oumaeda Marechiyo (A/N: Real/Full name Oumaeda Nikkoutarouemon Yoshiayamenosuke Marechiyo.) nearly screamed. The huge Vice-Captain of the Second Division, who many suspect got his position because of his rich family's connection, was normally arrogant, but in this case, he wanted to be the first one out. However, he found he couldn't run away, since he suddenly found a blade in the form of a square hook around his neck, trapping him in place.

"Stay where you are." The dull voice of Izuru Kira, Vice-Captain of the Third Division, weak, but defiant despite his poisoning, belied his eyes, which were burning with an inner fire. "Or I'll kill you where you stand like the coward you are." He and Nanao had been let out of the infirmary after extensive bathing in fukudou spells from Unohana herself, and although both could have been better, they could at the least fight.

"Easy there, Izuru." Rangiku stepped forward, Haineko already released around her as she held the blade-less zanpakutou in her hand. "Calm down. He can't help it. It's in his nature." Her voice was dripping with scorn as her gray eyes stared down Oumaeda's. "Forget him. Let's go." She disappeared in a flash of reiatsu. Izuru, after another disdainful glare, followed after her, Wabisuke's blade disappearing from his throat.

Oumaeda muttered something under his breath, then slung his zanpakutou back onto the ground. "This isn't what I signed-up for…" he muttered. "Let's go, Gegetsuburi!" Spinning the huge spiked ball around on its chain, he ran at the top. With a loud cry, he threw it forward, and the green reiatsu started to form around it. "Go go go!" he shouted.

The spiked ball started to swerve in mid-air, knocking down all the rods before they could hit them. Oumaeda himself didn't appear to be manipulating it: Gegetsuburi was moving on its own as it sought out and knocked down all the rods it could reach. Shuuhei helped, throwing both sickles of Kazeshini into the air, where they started to spin, and used his chains to propel them through the sky, aided with his reiatsu.

"HAHAHAHA! How do you like that! The perfect defence!" Odalis Reyes, strangely, wasn't doing anything that even remotely seemed to be organizing an attack. If anything, he had settled down, and was watching with a sneer as their attacks proved fruitless. He stretched, then casually picked up a sword from nearby and carelessly threw it down. As it did, it vanished, reappearing suddenly behind Tetsuzaemon, who was only saved by his quick reflexes as he fell flat on the ground, the blade whistling harmlessly over his head. "Hah! Lucky! That was my skill, _sin examiner hoja!_ You can't see it until it hits you! You're the first to have dodged it!" (A/N: Spanish for blade that isn't noticed. In other words, invisible blade.)

"I think he has a few screws loose in his head…" Renji muttered. Hihiou Zabimaru roared. "Yeah, I know. Time for you to earn your keep. Let's go!"

The Bankai reared up, a giant skeletal snake that charged straight at the spinning top. It hit, but the spin of the top sent the huge head ricocheting off, smoke from the friction of their brief contact rising from the bone.

"Have you learnt nothing, worms?! My defence cannot be pierced by the likes of you!" Odalis laughed. "Aizen-sama has given me the task of dealing with you little pathetic creatures, so at least put up a bit of a fight!"

"If you say so." The voice came from behind him, and he twisted his torso in a way that looked painful, his eyes wide with shock. "When did you…?!"

Choujirou was standing behind him, his sandaled feet delicately balanced on the edge of a large sword as he held his own rapier in a salute. "You lack concentration, caught up in your own arrogance. You didn't see the passenger that Renji-san had on the head of his Bankai." A ray of light reflected off the sun into the Decima Espada's eyes, making him lose balance. The whole top started to veer alarmingly, and Choujirou vanished in a burst of reiatsu, reappearing on the other side. "Hadou no Yon, Byakurai." (Destructive Art #4: White Lightning.) A burst of white lightning sprang from his finger, arcing forward to pierce the Espada's shoulder.

"Damn you!" he shouted. Reaching with his uninjured arm, he grabbed a spear and threw it at Choujirou, who dodged it easily. Spinning around, the Vice-Captain of the First Division slashed outwards, and the invisible spear that had been coming towards him from behind was cut in two. "You lack subtlety as well. A poor choice for an Espada. Your biggest mistake, however, was in challenging such a large number of warriors by yourself."

Rangiku suddenly appeared next to Choujirou. "Ne ne, can we finish him off already?" she whined. Choujirou turned his back. "Go ahead, Rangiku-san."

A square hook suddenly appeared around the neck of the Decima Espada, and a sword with two hooks in the guard slid slowly and calmly up to the head, where the hooks nestled comfortably between the ears and the head, while the blade itself lied on the back of the head. Ash settled gently around him, and the whirring sound of a heavy ball could be heard just behind them. Rearing its huge head over the group was a skeletal snake head, and a glowing sphere nestled in a palm, just above a huge book. A small steel tip slid like a snake through the space between the square hook blade, and a sickle wrapped the body of the Arrancar loosely. A slim delicate hand laid itself on top of the head, while the tip of a rapier rested over where his heart would've been.

"Hey Nemu, you think Kurotsuchi-taichou will miss you?" Renji asked, as the quiet shinigami gripped the Decima Espada's head. She shook her head, once, but didn't say anything.

Odalis couldn't move an inch, not without slicing himself up. Besides, he found that there were some women around him, pressing themselves into him in an effort to trap him, and being a male, he couldn't help but hesitate, wanting it to last a little longer. That was to be his downfall. In one synchronized movement, the Vice-Captains acted.

Shuuhei moved first. Kazeshini's sickle-like blade ripped into the Arrancar's torso, just as the other blade, dangling over the top and spinning with it, was pulled in, and the keen blade whistled through the air, before landing with a sickening squelch, impaling the Espada's left hand into the top surface. With a practised movement, the Vice-Captain of the Ninth Division ducked and shunpo-ed out of the immediate vicinity, reappearing to their left, where the Espada's right arm was flailing in pain, and systematically, stabbed the other sickle into his right, pinning his arms in place while wounding his chest.

Rangiku moved next. Slashing the currently blade-less Haineko downwards, the ash that was on Odalis' body moved, slicing downwards and into his body, where each individual grain of ash burned. Odalis threw his head back in a scream, but in doing so, he thrust his own head onto the blade of Itegumo, where it stabbed through his left ear as Isane placed a finger on his back. "Hadou no Yon, Byakurai."

The burst of white lightning that seared through the dripping wound that Shuuhei had left was soon met by the white light of Gonryoumaru as Choujirou stabbed forward, his rapier riving the empty chest of the heartless Hollow until the tip protruded from the back. He leapt to the side, dragging his zanpakutou through the flesh, leaving it gaping wide as Nanao calmly raised a hand, finishing her incantation just in time. "Hadou no Hachijyuu Hachi, Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raihou." (A/N: Destructive Art #88: Flying Dragon Striking, Heaven-Shaking, Lightning Cannon.)

The glowing sphere in her hand started to crackle as though pure lightning was coursing through it, then blasted outwards in a powerful wave of energy that the Kidou master forced into a thin beam to avoid harming her allies. The level 88 spell carved a ravaging path through the Espada's body, tearing and burning the outside, scorching the very air as Gegetsuburi was flung downwards.

"Die, beeyotch!" Oumaeda shouted, flinging the huge spiked ball at Odalis. Izuru vanished as he removed Wabisuke from the Arrancar's head, striking the huge ball several times. Each hit doubled the weight of the ball, first twice, then four times, then eight times, then a final hit made it 16 times as heavy as it normally was as it careened towards their enemy. Then Wabisuke nestled around the neck of the Espada again.

The ball slammed into the Espada with enough force to start to whole top toppling over, but the Vice-Captains weren't done yet. Tetsuzaemon concentrated, and red energy poured down the blade, concentrating in the small pick like extension just below the tip of the sword. "Tear him up!" he shouted, and the energy exploded, concentrated in such a small area that the sudden release blew him backwards as he shouted, "Bakudou no Sanjyuu Kyuu, Enkosen!" (A/N: Binding Art #39: Arc Shield.) Behind him, Isane had her hands up and chanting as well. "Bakudou no Hachijyuu Ichi, Dankuu!" (A/N: Binding Art #81: Splitting Void.)

The teamwork the Vice-Captains showed was both impressive and effective: A small round shield of energy engulfed Nemu as the Vice-Captain of the Twelfth Division refused to relinquish her grip on the Espada's head, and the explosion couldn't hit Izuru due to a sudden lack of any atoms to carry the explosion across a thin area, effectively stopping it, but the effect on the Espada was huge.

"Finish him." Izuru's voice was as dull as ever, but underneath it was a burning flame as Nemu and Renji nodded. The Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division slashed downwards, and the ripples of the slash carried its momentum all along the impressive length of the Bankai, and Hihiou Zabimaru roared again as it lifted off the ground, the huge mouth opened wide as it rose high into the sky, then dived down at the top.

Nemu's grip tightened, and inhuman strength dug into the skull of the Espada, who was past saving now, his eyes wide and vacant. Izuru pulled backwards, and the blade of Wabisuke neatly severed the head of the Vasto Espada. "I pray you don't forgive me…" he murmured.

Nemu launched the head into the sky, then vanished in a burst of reiatsu, reappearing above it and launching a powerful axe kick that slammed into the head, sending it speeding downwards and crashing into the torso. The top stopped spinning as the numerous weapons on its surface started to slide around, and Izuru and Nemu both disappeared, reappearing with the rest of the Vice-Captains save Renji a small way off.

Hihiou Zabimaru was now given free reign. As it roared down towards the body of the Decima Espada, reiatsu flared off it as red reiatsu surrounded Renji. The numerous segments that made up the long body started to pop apart, held together only by the red flaming reiatsu of the only Bankai-wielding Vice-Captain, and each successive popping increased the size of the red and black ball that was forming in the snake's mouth.

"_Hikoutsu Taihou!" _(A/N: Baboon Bone Cannon.) The screech of the diving snake was grating on the ears, but the highly disciplined shinigami continued to watch impassively as the last segment popped. The ball of dense spiritual energy was fired at a blinding pace, and it slammed into the now stationary top, a huge explosion that completely engulfed it blossoming from the point of impact. Renji withdrew Hihiou Zabimaru, and reappeared next to the Vice-Captain group. His eyes betrayed nothing as he gazed at the huge black and red sphere that slowly diminished in size, leaving only _reishi_ behind.

"Well, that's done. Let's go."

With a final flash of reiatsu, the Vice Captains departed.

* * *

"Interesting… So this is the strength of the Vice-Captains of Soul Society? Alone, they are weak. But together, they are strong…"

Three pairs of eyes watched the battle between the Decima Espada and the Vice-Captains with interest, not even batting an eyelid as the Arrancar died for the second time, and this time beyond the reach of the Octava Espada.

"Aizen-sama. Would you say he knows?"

"Yes."

All three voices were feminine, but their owners couldn't be seen in the shadows where they were. Their reiatsu output was at exactly the opposite frequency of their own personal reiatsu signature, cancelling it out and rendering them near invisible in a place where reiatsu-sensing was as essential as the other five senses.

The first voice spoke again. "But then, Odalis was the weakest of our own. His loss is nothing great." It was medium pitched, like a child almost turned woman, a teenage girl.

"Aguas." The one who spoke now was the third person, and her voice was very low, almost able to pass for a man's, even lower than that of the Octava Espada. It had the harsh sound of the rarely used, as though the owner rarely talked.

"Ah yes… The Sexta Espada. His arrogance was second to none, and his perversions even more so." This time, it was the second voice, and her voice was young, like a child that hasn't reached puberty. However, her speech was refined, dignified, and had a no-nonsense tone to it.

"Prime, what are your thoughts?" the first voice asked.

"I reserve my judgement." The one who answered was the second voice. "Tercer?"

"Aizen-sama," the third voice answered.

"I see…" murmured the one who had been called Prime. "Segu, make haste to Aizen-sama's side. Where are Ichimaru-sama and Tousen-sama?"

The first voice hesitated. "They didn't want to come. They don't like the idea of allying themselves with these otherworlders."

Prime sighed. "So be it. I trust Aizen-sama knows of their thoughts?"

"Aizen-sama knows all thoughts." Segu replied. "But he makes no move. They still obey him, and that is enough for the present."

"For the present, aye, but for how long, Segu? Would not trust be misplaced in them? Especially Ichimaru-sama… I do not like him, and I will not trust him. A snake would be less sly, a fox less cunning, a traitor less treacherous." Prime's voice was starting to get an undercurrent of power, and black reiatsu was starting to pool into the shadows.

"Peace." Tercer's voice came unexpectedly again. "Prime. Aizen-sama knows."

The reiatsu inflow slowed down until it stopped completely. "I apologize for my foolhardiness and pray that you forgive me. I lost my temper. That should not happen to the Primera Espada."

"Well, I'll take my leave, Prime. There is nothing to forgive, so don't ask for forgiveness. But I will go to Aizen-sama, and await you there." Segu's voice faded as she vanished, leaving not even a reiatsu flicker.

There was silence for a few moments, then Prime sighed again. "Is life as an Espada of Aizen-sama so hard, Tercer…?"

There was a silence, then the third voice came. "Yes."

"Sometimes, I wish I was a shinigami, barbarians though they are. But they laugh and are merry, while we ten swords, the ten Espada of Aizen-sama, train and fight, and little else. Even our friendship of the Rosa Espada is rare, and unheard of. We, the Rose Swords, the strongest of the Aizen-sama's army. A great burden, and a high responsibility…"

At that moment, you could really believe that this was just a normal girl, instead of the Primera Espada, the first and most powerful of the Vasto Espada. There was a quiet sadness in her voice, yet complete trust in the other figure who was standing motionless behind her, and in the one who had gone.

The figure behind her moved, hugging the Primera Espada close to her, although she said nothing. The Tercera Espada, the Third Espada, held her sister close, her eyes; one heavily scarred and burnt, the other a deep liquid brown, gazed up at the white walls of Seireitei.

"Bimra… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry… I have to act so strong, and yet I feel so weak…" The Primera Espada's tiny body was shaking, as though racked with sobs. Unknowingly, she had used the Tercera Espada's real name, something which the top three Espada weren't supposed to do. "I am just Ciracia, Ciracia Alesa, and you are my sister, and Luciferio our cousin. Why are we forced to fight to our deaths this way? Aizen-sama… Why… Aizen-sama…?"

The older Arrancar didn't reply, continuing to hold her close, even as the sounds of battle echoed in the plains behind them, where their comrades fought, and where they themselves would soon have to fight.

* * *

"That's two down, Aizen." Kurai's voice held a note of vicious triumph. "How will you act now I wonder? And when your Espada are all dead?"

Aizen said nothing. In five minutes, two of his ten most powerful fighters have been defeated. But his smile remained. "So?" he said after some length. "It matters not to me. Do you think you can defeat me, Tenshi Kurai, the Fallen Angel?" His eyes slid over to the white angel at Kurai's side. "Why have you not acted, Right Hand of Heaven?"

There was a pause, then a voice came. "It is not required." The voice was power embodied, and the mere sound of it was enough to paralyse the shinigami completely. The ex-Captain increased his reiatsu output, and managed to breathe again.

"You don't need me to spell out to you just how outclassed you are, Aizen." Kurai's tone was sarcastic. "Unless of course you need an interpreter to teach you the meaning of defeat."

"I'm afraid you're getting too happy too early, Tenshi-kun." Aizen's tone, in contrast, was polite, although as cold as new ice in a blizzard. "Neither of them were very powerful. In fact, I should thank you for weeding the trash out of my pick. I commend you."

Kurai snorted. "Suuure. As if you aren't trembling in your _geta_ right now." He suddenly closed his right eye, opening his left wide as a rift appeared behind him and a new sword that Sora, Riku and Kairi wouldn't have recognised if they had been there appeared, zooming into his left hand as two rings appeared before him. The rings were bright silver in colour, and one of them was inside the other. Two white orbs circled on each ring, for all the world like beads on a ring, both moving the same way and opposite each other. "Keep your hands off Kyouka Suigetsu, won't you?"

Out of the rings, a single sword, plain and unadorned, shot out, slashing the flowing sleeves of Aizen's Arrancar outfit, revealing his hand dangerously close to the hilt of his zanpakutou. Despite its unimpressive appearance, the passing of the sword emanated such a force that Aizen himself was immobilized for a moment, and a slight widening of his eyes proved as much.

"You hide some interesting powers, Tenshi Kurai." The traitor's eyes narrowed again, piercing towards Kurai.

"No more than you do, Aizen." Smaller copies of the two rings that spun serenely before Kurai spun in his left eyes, while his right eye remained tightly shut. "No more than you do, before my Gate of Blades."

* * *

Kurai reveals another sword, one that I've planned for ages, but only recently have been able to get my head around. Hope you guys enjoyed it. It's not much at the present, but he will reveal just what he can do with it soon. For now, I'd be happy if you guys can help me figure out just what them Spanish kids do on a hot afternoon. If possible, I want a toy, since that would fit into my plans perfectly. For now, read and review!


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